| English Touring Opera - Touring | 19 May 2024 |
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The Rake's Progress
Manon Lescaut
La Cenerentola
Il viaggio a Reims
Giulio Cesare in Egitto
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Performance reviews
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WertherEnglish Touring OperaNo. of reviews: 12 | |
Prissy and precise |
 13 Oct 15 / Telegraph |
Ed Ballard as Werther looks nerdy rather than romantic |
| 11 Oct 15 / Express |
An absorbing and well staged work that suits this particular interpretation well |
| 11 Oct 15 / Broadway World |
more reviews [+]
Oliver Platt’s staging of Werther takes the notion of reduction to another level |
| 10 Oct 15 / Music OMH |
Some fine singing, but the title character fails to stir the emotions |
| 10 Oct 15 / The Stage |
this pared down staging is likely to prove strange to those coming to it for the first time |
| 10 Oct 15 / Classical Source |
Emotional power despite the reductions |
| 6 Oct 15 / The Guardian |
ETO's up-close production sets Massenet's romance in a 1950s kitchen |
| 4 Oct 15 / What's on Stage |
Pelléas et MélisandeEnglish Touring OperaNo. of reviews: 14 | |
A strange otherworld |
| 2 Nov 15 / The Opera Critic |
ETO's staging is uncomplicated and open to the symbolism of the drama |
| 29 Oct 15 / Opera Journal |
Luke-warm Debussy |
| 28 Oct 15 / The Critics' Circle |
more reviews [+]
Uneven dramatically |
| 24 Oct 15 / The Post Bulletin |
The love between Jonathan McGovern’s naive Pelleas and Susanna Hurrell’s fragile Melisande is delicately defined |
| 11 Oct 15 / Express |
Jonathan Berman expertly conducts Debussy’s enigmatic masterpiece |
| 5 Oct 15 / Financial Times |
English Touring Opera’s Pelléas et Mélisande feels pared down in every way |
| 5 Oct 15 / Forum Opéra |
Enterprising reduced scale Pelleas |
| 5 Oct 15 / Planet Hugill |
This show’s one remediable weakness lies in the pit |
| 3 Oct 15 / Independent |
ETO's chamber version of Debussy's enigmatic opera gets most things right |
| 3 Oct 15 / What's on Stage |
A brave, deeply affecting achievement |
| 3 Oct 15 / The Guardian |
Honourable but over-ambitious |
| 3 Oct 15 / Telegraph |
Focused staging |
| 3 Oct 15 / The Stage |
Pelléas et Mélisande missing magic at the start of English Touring Opera's season |
| 3 Oct 15 / Bachtrack |
La bohèmeEnglish Touring OperaNo. of reviews: 12 | |
A dingy and dull Bohemian life that pulls at the heartstrings |
| 26 May 15 / The Opera Critic |
The staging is a major let down in James Conway’s production of La Boheme. |
| 22 Mar 15 / Express |
The visceral impact of the performance is not to be missed |
| 18 Mar 15 / Mark Ronan's Theatre Reviews |
more reviews [+]
ETO is back on tour with three superb productions |
| 17 Mar 15 / Independent |
Despite some extraneous pimping, Puccini’s robust vision survives, thanks to a solid cast |
| 17 Mar 15 / The Stage |
Well integrated La Bohème liberates and informs the imagination |
| 17 Mar 15 / Seen and Heard |
Simple and emotive |
| 17 Mar 15 / Bachtrack |
A well-integrated production |
| 17 Mar 15 / Boulezian |
A new production of Puccini's evergreen tear-jerker that's musically first-rate |
| 16 Mar 15 / What's on Stage |
Sparse but beautifully sung production from ETO |
| 16 Mar 15 / The Guardian |
A hideous set undermines ETO's crisp account of Puccini's opera |
| 15 Mar 15 / Telegraph |
The music's intertwining with the performances is what sets live opera apart |
| 15 Mar 15 / Broadway World |
L'assedio di CalaisEnglish Touring OperaNo. of reviews: 11 | |
Assured performance by ETO of The Siege of Calais |
| 15 May 15 / Seen and Heard |
English Touring Opera’s 2015 Spring Tour is audacious and thought-provoking |
| 13 Apr 15 / Opera Today |
ETO is back on tour with three superb productions |
| 17 Mar 15 / Independent |
more reviews [+]
Strength of emotion in English Touring’s Siege of Calais |
| 12 Mar 15 / Seen and Heard |
Jeremy Silver conducts superbly, while the strong cast is led by Catherine Carby |
| 11 Mar 15 / Music OMH |
James Conway’s production very much brings to life Donizetti’s vision of one moment in the Hundred Years War |
| 11 Mar 15 / Mark Ronan's Theatre Reviews |
Donizetti's L'assedio di Calais in an early but timely revival by ETO |
| 10 Mar 15 / What's on Stage |
A reminder that the horrors of Isis and Boko Haram |
| 9 Mar 15 / Broadway World |
In general, musical values were very high |
| 9 Mar 15 / Classical Source |
Verismo before its time |
| 9 Mar 15 / Bachtrack |
Dramatic bel canto |
| 9 Mar 15 / Planet Hugill |
Il Furioso all'isola di San DomingoEnglish Touring OperaNo. of reviews: 13 | |
English Touring Opera’s 2015 Spring Tour is audacious and thought-provoking |
| 13 Apr 15 / Opera Today |
English Touring Opera has rediscovered Donizetti’s virtually unknown “Il furioso all’isola di San Domingo” |
| 22 Mar 15 / Express |
ETO is back on tour with three superb productions |
| 17 Mar 15 / Independent |
more reviews [+]
English Touring Opera’s production of Donizetti is musically mixed |
| 16 Mar 15 / Financial Times |
The first time the opera has ever been professionally staged in the UK |
| 16 Mar 15 / Music OMH |
A welcome outing for a Donizetti rarity |
| 16 Mar 15 / Opera Britannia |
A lovely piece, consistently engaging, and sung and played with verve and no little style |
| 14 Mar 15 / Broadway World |
A second half-forgotten opera by Donizetti joins ETO's spring tour |
| 14 Mar 15 / What's on Stage |
The cast gave it everything |
| 14 Mar 15 / Classical Source |
Music of exquisite poignancy |
| 14 Mar 15 / The Guardian |
Donizetti fans will be grateful |
| 14 Mar 15 / Telegraph |
Iqbal Khan’s staging of a rarity by Donizetti is a hit for English Touring Opera |
| 14 Mar 15 / The Stage |
The Wild Man stumbles into Hackney in ETO’s rare Donizetti revival |
| 14 Mar 15 / Bachtrack |
OttoneEnglish Touring OperaNo. of reviews: 11 | |
Captivating production of Handel’s Ottone from English Touring Opera |
| 25 Nov 14 / Seen and Heard |
Strong and stylish |
| 30 Oct 14 / Bachtrack |
A rare delight for Handel lovers |
| 27 Oct 14 / Telegraph |
more reviews [+]
ETO treats Handel's rarely-seen 'opera of solitudes' to a polished production |
| 26 Oct 14 / What's on Stage |
ETO hits the road with some sparky and stylish Baroque |
| 23 Oct 14 / Independent |
Jonathan Peter Kenny conducted as expressively as ever, but failed to convince stylistically |
| 22 Oct 14 / Opera Britannia |
A gamble that doesn’t quite pay off |
| 22 Oct 14 / Music OMH |
The commitment to the piece shines through |
| 21 Oct 14 / The Stage |
Handel's Ottone is packed with first-rate arias and duets |
| 21 Oct 14 / Evening Standard |
Magnificently but only intermittently alive |
| 20 Oct 14 / The Guardian |
A coherent and stimulating production |
| 20 Oct 14 / Classical Source |
Il mondo della lunaEnglish Touring OperaNo. of reviews: 12 | |
The company is always a treat to watch but this really has taken it to a whole new level |
| 29 Oct 14 / Bath Chronicle |
Life On The Moon brings a whole new meaning to the term 'comic opera' as it stops off in Bath |
| 29 Oct 14 / What's on Stage |
ETO hits the road with some sparky and stylish Baroque |
| 23 Oct 14 / Independent |
more reviews [+]
This is all huge fun |
| 22 Oct 14 / Mark Ronan's Theatre Reviews |
ETO’s production is terrific fun |
| 21 Oct 14 / The Guardian |
ETO hits the road with some sparky and stylish Baroque |
| 21 Oct 14 / Independent |
Haydn remade for the 21st-century Anglosphere and played at a cracking pace |
| 21 Oct 14 / The Stage |
Broad slapstick eclipses Haydn’s Life on the Moon |
| 20 Oct 14 / Bachtrack |
As you’d expect from this director, the visual gags come thick and fast |
| 20 Oct 14 / Classical Source |
Haydn is worth performing but a surer directorial hand seems necessary |
| 20 Oct 14 / Opera Britannia |
Alcohol-free entertainment |
| 20 Oct 14 / Telegraph |
ETO launches its autumn tour with a rarely-performed Haydn opera |
| 19 Oct 14 / What's on Stage |
Die ZauberflöteEnglish Touring OperaNo. of reviews: 8 | |
ETO's The Magic Flute is fun for all ages |
| 26 May 14 / The Opera Critic |
ETO’s slick Magic Flute shows lighter and darker aspects |
| 22 May 14 / Seen and Heard |
Over two centuries later, Mozart’s resplendent score still dazzles |
| 17 Apr 14 / The York Press |
more reviews [+]
Touring production outshines its more expensive rivals |
| 18 Mar 14 / Telegraph |
ETO’s Magic Flute puts major opera houses to shame |
| 13 Mar 14 / Seen and Heard |
All in all it’s a fine achievement |
| 11 Mar 14 / The Stage |
It's a couple of light bulbs short of Enlightenment |
| 10 Mar 14 / What's on Stage |
This is Mozart as his most crowdpleasing |
| 10 Mar 14 / Broadway World |
Paul BunyanEnglish Touring OperaNo. of reviews: 8 | |
A remarkable production by an exceptional company |
| 19 Apr 14 / The York Press |
What on earth were Britten and W.H Auden thinking of when they created Paul Bunyan? |
| 27 Feb 14 / Opera Britannia |
Britten and Auden's exuberant American opera is as fun as Rodgers and Hammerstein |
| 22 Feb 14 / Telegraph |
more reviews [+]
Britten’s youthful stab at popular entertainment is deservedly revived |
| 21 Feb 14 / Financial Times |
Another rarity from English Touring Opera as Benjamin Britten's first stage work heads out on tour |
| 21 Feb 14 / What's on Stage |
Britten’s first foray into the operatic |
| 19 Feb 14 / The Arts Desk |
ETO's fine performance can't entirely mask the self-conscious quality of Britten's early 'operetta' |
| 19 Feb 14 / The Guardian |
A production of Britten’s ‘choral operetta’ Paul Bunyan whose homespun charm would melt a heart of stone |
| 18 Feb 14 / Independent |
King PriamEnglish Touring OperaNo. of reviews: 9 | |
No deers were harmed in the making of this opera! |
| 27 Feb 14 / Opera Britannia |
Tippett’s lofty Homeric tale remains hard to love, despite English Touring Opera’s best efforts |
| 19 Feb 14 / Financial Times |
An exceptional achievement, not to be missed as it tours widely this spring |
| 18 Feb 14 / The Stage |
more reviews [+]
Roderick Earle, as Priam, leads an ensemble performance of rare conviction |
| 18 Feb 14 / Independent |
Ambitious but hobbled |
| 17 Feb 14 / Telegraph |
English Touring Opera launches its Spring season with a rare staging of Michael Tippett's Trojan tragedy |
| 17 Feb 14 / What's on Stage |
English Touring Opera triumphs with Tippett’s King Priam |
| 15 Feb 14 / Seen and Heard |
ETO's staging is hindered by practical constraints, but that doesn't diminish compelling performances |
| 15 Feb 14 / The Guardian |
Cluttered production doesn't help Tippett's tough approach to Trojan War mythology |
| 14 Feb 14 / The Arts Desk |
GiasoneEnglish Touring OperaNo. of reviews: 11 | |
The production went for period authenticity |
| 15 Nov 13 / Cambridge News |
An opera that moves smoothly from gentle comedy to painful suffering via lots of delicious melodies |
| 30 Oct 13 / The Bath Chronicle |
Magic and fun pervade ETO's Jason |
| 30 Oct 13 / The Opera Critic |
more reviews [+]
Love and treachery with plenty of laughs in Cavalli’s Jason |
| 28 Oct 13 / Seen and Heard |
Cavalli's 17th-century favourite is well worth reviving |
| 14 Oct 13 / The Observer |
This rarely heard seventeenth century opera had wit, flair and a scene stealing performance |
| 12 Oct 13 / Telegraph |
There is a general fuzziness around all but the best performance |
| 9 Oct 13 / The Stage |
A mixed bag of baroque from English Touring Opera |
| 9 Oct 13 / The Arts Desk |
Ted Huffman's production keeps a balance between narrowly-skirted tragedy and broad comedy |
| 8 Oct 13 / Independent |
Shipwrecks and bigamy give a tragi-comic edge to this production of Cavalli's erotic classic |
| 7 Oct 13 / The Guardian |
Hannah Pedley flaunts rich tones and sexy curves to great effect as Medea |
| 6 Oct 13 / What's on Stage |
L'incoronazione di PoppeaEnglish Touring OperaNo. of reviews: 8 | |
A full blown celebration of the operas written for the passionate audiences of 17th century Venice |
| 29 Oct 13 / The Bath Chronicle |
ETO continues its Venetian theme with The Coronation of Poppea |
| 29 Oct 13 / The Opera Critic |
Comrade Monteverdi's opera of passion and wickedness is given a Stalinist makeover |
| 11 Oct 13 / What's on Stage |
more reviews [+]
An intelligent production of one of the great operas of any age |
| 11 Oct 13 / Classical Source |
Comrade Monteverdi's opera of passion and wickedness is given a Stalinist makeover |
| 11 Oct 13 / What's on Stage |
The drama is compellingly conveyed thanks to clear direction and committed performances |
| 1 Oct 13 / The Stage |
Poppea transported from Imperial Rome to Stalinist Russia |
| 1 Oct 13 / Opera Britannia |
Stalinist Russia replaces ancient Rome in this assured retelling of Monteverdi's opera |
| 30 Sep 13 / The Guardian |
Reviews search
Performance schedule
Puccini
24 Feb to 25 May 2024
Stravinsky
2 Mar to 24 May 2024
Shahryar
5 Mar to 28 May 2024
News & Articles
| English Touring Opera announces 2023-24 season & new initiatives |
Robin Norton-Hale, the General Director of the English Touring Opera, has unveiled the company’s upcoming season and launched a multiple digital events, and educational initiatives. |
| 7 Jul 2023 / OperaWire |
| James Conway to leave English Touring Opera after 20 years |
Conway is leaving to pursue freelance opportunities, but has agreed to remain artistic director of ETO on a part-time basis until the end of 2022, working with interim chief executive Michael Garvey. |
| 21 Jan 2022 / The Stage |
| English Touring Opera announces spring 2022 performances |
ETO will perform La bohème, The Golden Cockerel and St John Passion during its spring tour. |
| 22 Dec 2021 / OperaWire |
| English Touring Opera drops half its orchestra in controversial move |
The opera company has said it’s prioritising “increased diversity in the orchestra” in line with “firm guidance of the Arts Council.” |
| 14 Sep 2021 / Classic FM |
| English Touring Opera to tour Handel’s ‘Amadigi’ in fall |
The company will return to live performances with a national autumn tour of Handel’s “Amadigi” in a new production led by director James Conway and conductor Jonathan Peter Kenny. |
| 22 Apr 2021 / OperaWire |
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