Hallelujah! There's a new Messiah in London!

After it premiered in Dublin in 1742, George Frideric Handel's Messiah was introduced to London audiences at the Covent Garden Theatre the following year. To the horror of many in 18th-century England, the composer used "singing actresses" in the solo parts. Despite the scandal, however, Messiah became a London Christmas tradition, and now it's back in the hands of an avant-garde director.

Since 27 November, Deborah Warner has been presenting her interpretation of the great religious work at the English National Opera. "We understand each other better through good art, and the Messiah is undeniably good art," Warner told the Financial Times.

Warner was brought up a Quaker, but describes herself as "non-practising". Is this a problem for someone directing a work that is considered to be a defence of the Christian faith against criticism from Enlightenment thinkers? "Those who don't think they connect to the Christian story: they do," she said. "They connect to it every time they see a young girl in a hospital ward having just given birth."