The Shops

According to TheStage.com, there's a new opera called The Shops being performed in and around London.

Its central character, Christoph Schmalhans, is an obsessive stamp collector who manages to steal prize examples from museums with the aid of his girlfriend, who distracts attention by causing scenes.

Christoph lives alone with his mother and keeps his collection secretly in his bedroom.

His activities eventually attract the interest a stamp-collecting policeman.

Ironically all the stamps are flushed down the toilet by his mother. In between, there’s a running commentary on the phenomenon of shopaholics, with testimony from members of a mutual support group.

Pictured above, Darren Abrahams as Christoph Schmalhans.

For more on The Shops, click here.