Powder Her Face gives the audience a peek into the life of the self-absorbed Duchess of Argyll, whose perceived debauchery earned her the
title of the "Dirty Duchess." The notably explicit opera premiered in 1995, written by Thomas Ades, known to be the first opera to introduce a sexual act on stage, based on incriminating Polaroids of the Duchess with the "headless man," which were presented during her divorce trial. This edgy contemporary opera traces the life of a woman who was catapulted into high society, only to experience a sudden fall from grace, providing a larger insights about the celebrity cult, voyeurism, morality, wealth, and sexuality.
