Forty years after the publication of the groundbreaking exposé memoir Ganz Unten (Lowest of the Low), the undercover experience of German investigative journalist Günter Wallraff is transformed into a documentary opera in this UK premiere.

Disguised as a Turkish migrant worker in West Germany during the 1980s, Wallraff entered the hidden world of migrant labour for two years, experiencing and exposing the exploitation, racism and the harsh conditions faced by migrant workers. His revelations shocked Europe and are still strikingly relevant today.

Featuring music by renowned Turkish composer Tuluğ Tırpan, this docu-opera explores the everyday encounters and ethics of Wallraff’s undercover work, considering questions of cultural appropriation through the lens of today and investigating what drove Wallraff’s transformation.

Lowest of the Low will be performed in German with English surtitles.

Post-show talk

Join us immediately following the show on 14 August for a Q&A with Director & Librettist Mehmet Ergen and the Centre for Investigative Journalism, an organisation for the training and education of journalists in advanced investigative techniques.

Lowest of the Low will be performed in German with English surtitles.