About the work
"Lennox" is a youth opera (ages 8+) by Dutch National Opera (De Nationale Opera, Amsterdam), presented in the 2026/27 season (10–17 October 2026). The music is by Bnnyhunna (Benjamin Ankomah), the libretto by Maarten van Hinte, based on the children's book "Lennox and the Golden Sickle" by Zindzi Zevenbergen; the director is Marjorie Boston. Stylistically the work blends jazz, gospel, Afrobeat, soul and classical music into an "adventurous hip-hop opera" with the pace of a music video.
Plot
At its centre is the boy Lennox, who discovers that his father is mysteriously ill. When his father forgets his lucky pendant before a hospital appointment, Lennox and his best friend secretly follow him – and embark on an adventure about family, friendship and daring. The piece gently approaches sickle cell anaemia, a hereditary blood disorder that mainly affects people with West African roots, making an often taboo subject tangible for a young audience.
Cultural significance
"Lennox" represents a contemporary music theatre that connects the classical operatic tradition with the soundworlds of the Black diaspora – jazz, gospel, Afrobeat, soul, hip-hop – thereby reaching new, young and diverse audiences. By placing at its centre a disease prevalent above all in communities of West African heritage, the opera combines artistic innovation with social representation and awareness. Such youth operas are an important part of the educational mission of major opera houses.