Ben and Imo (originally Imo and Ben) is a play by British writer Mark Ravenhill. It was first released as a Radio Drama by The BBC, in 2013. In 2024, a reworked and renamed version was produced for Royal Shakespeare Company as a full stage play.
It tells the tale of composer Benjamin Britten's 1953 commission to write a new opera for Queen Elizabeth II's coronation, assisted by Imogen Holst. The opera became Gloriana, a story set in Elizabeth I's later days. The opera was not a success.
- Adaptation Title Change: The original 2013 radio play was Imo and Ben. The stage play swaps the name to become Ben and Imo.
- Adapted Out: Lord Harwood appears in the original radio play, but is adapted out of the stage version.
- Docudrama:
- The Ghost: Peter Pears, Britten's partner, doesn't appear in either version of the play. Pears is
- Historical Domain Character: Imogen Holst and Benjamin Britten are both based on the historical composers.
- In Medias Res:
- Minimalist Cast:
- Newsreel: The radio play opens with Imo's narration, years after the coronation, and then intercuts it with newsreel coverage.
- Opening Narration:
- Posthumous Character:
- Take That!:
