The Rapture
​or Donald's Crusade
A satirical dive into US Christian Zionists' belief in apocalyptic prophesies and their chilling influence on the crisis in Gaza.

Thursday 2 October 2025 at 19:00
The Cockpit, London NW8 8EH
as part of Tête-à-Tête: The Opera Festival
​Sunday 5 October 2025 at 16:30
The Croft Hall, Hungerford RG17 0HY

Words: Norman Welch together with quotations from, or adaptations of, speeches and comments by US and Israeli preachers, politicians and activists 
Music: Edward Lambert
​Director: Walter Hall
Choreography: Jenny Weston
Eve: Maeve Herd
The King: Jean-Max Lattemann
The Pastor: Daniel Joy
The Knight: Thomas Stevenson

This opera looks at the Biblical prophesies of Armageddon which motivate many Americans’ support for Israel in its war against the Palestinians (the ‘Antichrist’). Some 39% of US adults, including many members of Congress, (Pew Research Center, 2022), subscribe to these beliefs in the expectation of Christ’s return to Earth. 
​
Self-styled ‘Pastors’ lead mega-churches in vast gatherings and TV channels, preaching the honouring of ‘Greater Israel’ in order to pave the way for Jesus’ Second Coming, while evangelical biker gangs roam the country advocating weaponry and violence. There are those who believe Trump has been sent by God to lead this Crusade.

Our satire owes its inspiration to the film “Praying for Armageddon” (UpNorth Film, dir. Tonje Hessen Schei, 2022) which shows the extent to which Biblical prophesies fuel political power in the USA.

​Synopsis
A Pastor heralds the approach of the End Times and a 'Knight' leading a biker gang gathers soldiers for the Final Battle. King Donald celebrates his own Second Coming and leads a Crusade to restore the territory of Israel to its ancient boundaries. Meanwhile, at the other end of the Bible, Eve tends the Garden of Eden. But when she rejects the mate that is created for her, her homeland is destroyed. She survives to muse upon the futility of holy wars and the dangerous power of words.

1. The self-proclaimed Pastor preaches that the End Times approach and only the righteous shall survive. 
2. Eve, in the garden of Eden, marvels at its beauty.
3. The Knights assemble and prepare their armaments for the Final Battle.
4. Eve needs a mate if she is to give birth and when he appears…
5. …The King celebrates his Second Coming but Eve finds him repugnant.
6. In Palestine, the King leads the Crusaders into battle. The land is laid waste and Eve is evicted from her homeland.
7. Eve bemoans the fate of the world: the Prophesies were only words in a Book and there was no Salvation. 

Pastor Hagee: (Christians United for Israel)
"Never in the history of the world have all the players been on the stage. Iran, Russia, China, Europe, `America. Everything is absolutely perfect. The final battle for global supremacy will be the mother of all wars and Armageddon. Are you listening Iran? Are you listening, Russia? God's going to wipe you out."
Pastor Jeffress:
"Nation shall rise up against nation and as we see theses things increase in intensity and frequency we can know that the Lord is going to return." ​
Hagee: 
"The end of time, when is that? That's right now. The next thing that's about to happen is the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Everything that's necessary for this new world order is at the door. Major uncontrollable fires, the Bible said, will break out all over the world spontaneously. The sun and the moon will be darkened. Earthquakes so shattering that the islands of the sea will disappear. The seven seas of the earth will turn to blood. A world war so bloody that the blood of those killed in battle flows up to 200 miles to the bridle of a horse. The coronavirus was no accident. When you see these signs, when you see nations against nation, when you see the moral collapse of America, when you see these things the apocalypse is coming. We are called to be warriors. And we need you to get in the fight." 
​Jeffress:
"There will be no lasting peace in the Middle East until the Prince of Peace, the Lord Jesus Christ, returns."
Biker 'Knight':
And I'm riding along there and I said, "God, I don't want to be at the back of the pack. I want to be right up there as close to you as I can. I want to see Jesus take that sword and slay the enemy and watch the blood run up to the bits of the horses."
Hagee:
"We thank you, O Lord, for President Donald Trump's courage in acknowledging to the world a truth established three thousand years ago that Jerusalem is and always shall be the eternal capital of the Jewish people. Can we all shout 'Hallelujah'?"

Audience responses
"A kind of hauntingly dark opera but certainly a stunning execution "
"...exposed the hideousness of evangelical Zionism tellingly by pitting it (them) against Eve. Good punchy job!"
"Wonderful!"     "Excellent work!"
"Dark and disturbing certainly, funny and powerful also".
"A superb cast, relevant storyline, all together a complete theatrical experience".

Maeve Herd (soprano)  is a Aotearoa/New Zealand-born singer/violinist who graduated from a BMus and MMus at the University of Auckland, and a PGDipAS from the Royal Northern College of Music under Yvonne Howard. Career highlights include performing in the NZ Opera Chorus, directing music at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Auckland, starring as Giulia in Rossini’s La scala di seta with RNCM Opera, creating the role of Miranda in Bicarregui’s Capsule and producing her original play: Please God, Make Me Ugly! — a coming-of-age drama-dy infused with music from Mozart’s Cosi fan Tutte — for RNCM’s Lab Week 2025. The Rapture marks Maeve’s London debut.

Jean-Max Lattemann (counter-tenor) is a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He appears equally on the opera and concert stage and is praised by critics for his interpretations and vocal expressiveness, his repertoire ranging from early baroque to modern and contemporary music. Recent highlights include concerts in London, Heidelberg, Dresden and Vienna, as well as, his debuts at the at the Internationale Maifestspiele Wiesbaden and the Barockfest Darmstadt in Germany, St Paul’s Opera London, the Dvorakova Olomouc Festival in the Czech Republic and the Théâtre National Mohammed V in Rabat in Morocco. 

Daniel Joy (tenor) began his musical education as head chorister at Croydon Minster before studying music at Durham University, on the postgraduate vocal course at The Royal College of Music, and on the opera course at Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He has worked for opera companies including Wexford, Glyndebourne, English National Opera, Grange Park, Opera North, Opera Brava, Swansea City Opera, Raymund Gubbay and Scottish Opera. Recent solo concert performances include Verdi’s Requiem at the Royal Albert Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. A Lambert veteran, this is Daniel’s 5th production for The Music Troupe.

Thomas Stevenson (bass-baritone) completed a Masters in Vocal Studies at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2020. Last year’s engagements include Cadmus in Semele (Ensemble OrQuesta), Colline in La Boheme (Bread and Bus Stop) and Joseph in Bethlehem (New Sussex Opera). Recent engagements include Simone in Gianni Schicci (St Alban's Chamber Opera) Dr Bartolo in Le Nozze Di Figaro (Opera Anywhere), and Chorus in L'italiana in Algeria (Scherzo Ensemble).He hopes to continue performing for the rest of his life and is grateful for music making opportunities.

Jenny Weston worked as a professional dancer before moving into choreography and movement direction. She has worked for Glyndebourne Festival, ENO, Opera Holland Park, New York City Opera, Long Beach Opera amongst others.  For Diva Opera this season she has choreographed Le Nozze Di Figaro and Don Pasquale  which are currently on tour. Jenny is very pleased to be working again with the Music Troupe previous productions include The Burning Question and The Last Siren.

Walter Hall is a London-based opera director. His recent credits include: Buster’s Trip (Music Troupe/Tête à Tête), Messiah, and Die Fledermaus (assistant director, Merry Opera), autumn, spring, and summer term Opera Scenes (assistant director, Morley College), and Orphée aux Enfers, Don Giovanni, and Der Rosenkavalier (assistant director, Opéra de Baugé). Forthcoming engagements include: Messiah (revival director, Merry Opera), and Hansel & Gretel and Così fan tutte (assistant director, Merry Opera).

Norman Welch is an American immigrant (proud to be an immigrant) living in Bromley. He's a former pop music journalist who wrote his first libretto back in 2011 -- the football opera All to Play For. The Rapture is his fourth collaboration with Ed Lambert and The Music Troupe. Although he still likes football, he thinks The Rapture might be the most important thing he's ever written.

Edward Lambert trained as an opera repetiteur and conductor as well as a composer. He’s written 18 small-scale operas and some large-scale ones for schools and communities. Besides collaborations with contemporary writers, he has based operas on works by Lorca, Shelley, Wilde, Pirandello, Poe and Middleton, and Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. The Music Troupe has shown 15 productions in London and elsewhere; works which are tailored, rather than reduced, for an intimate experience. We mount new musical dramas which aim to be entertaining and relevant, nimble and accessible. In the process, we've given opportunities to well over 100 artists and creatives. Six Characters in Search of a Stage, which kicked off The Music Troupe in 2013, will receive a new production later this year in Moscow. "For passionate opera fans, having something so new should come as a welcome joy…"  The Reviews Hub * * * *   "…a performance of the first rank, at village hall prices, so could not be more accessible."  Newbury Today  "Packed full with stunning music... fusing a traditionally dynamic Bel Canto score without feeling the least bit dated." Broadway World * * * *