English National Opera - London | 19 January 2021 |
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Performance reviews
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La bohèmeEnglish National OperaNo. of reviews: 5 | ![]() ![]() |
ENO delivers an operatic experience like no other |
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Honk your horn for Mimi and Rodolfo |
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In driving rain ENO’s drive-in Ally Pally La bohème turns out to be as deeply moving as ever |
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Exuberant drive-in staging |
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Orchestral manoeuvres in a car park |
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Covid-19: Swansea soprano stars in drive-in London opera
A night at the opera might summon up images of people in suits and ballgowns sitting in stalls and boxes overlooking a stage. But not when Natalya Romaniw sings in Puccini's La bohème.
A night at the opera might summon up images of people in suits and ballgowns sitting in stalls and boxes overlooking a stage. But not when Natalya Romaniw sings in Puccini's La bohème.
ENO to stage world's first live drive-in opera
The world’s first live drive-in opera will take place at Alexandra Palace, as the English National Opera is set to stage La bohème outdoors.
The world’s first live drive-in opera will take place at Alexandra Palace, as the English National Opera is set to stage La bohème outdoors.
Le nozze di FigaroEnglish National OperaNo. of reviews: 9 | ![]() |
Un divertissement qui vaut le détour |
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An inventive and well-sung production |
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An entertaining and worthwhile The Marriage of Figaro at the London Coliseum |
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Comedy with knobs on |
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Sexual desire drives the new Figaro at English National Opera |
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Energised attitudes, lower-level humanism |
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Superb singing in hilarious staging |
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ENO’s new Marriage of Figaro is a real tonic in these uncertain times |
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A new, blank-canvas Figaro at English National Opera |
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Madama ButterflyEnglish National OperaNo. of reviews: 5 | ![]() ![]() |
Natalya Romaniw reigns supreme in Madam Butterfly at the London Coliseum |
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Natalya Romaniw in gloriously impressive in the title role |
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Pulling the heart strings: Madam Butterfly returns to ENO |
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Welsh soprano Natalya Romaniw triumphs in the title role |
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A wonderful role debut for Natalya Romaniw in ENO's revival of Minghella's Madama Butterfly |
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Luisa MillerEnglish National OperaNo. of reviews: 12 | ![]() |
ENO’s wonderful singers compensate for a disordered modern dress Luisa Miller |
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Neglected work brought back to passionate life |
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ENO no-no |
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A passion for patriarchy |
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Alexander Joel directed a well-paced and lively account of the score |
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An emphasis on the psychological paid dividends in the performances |
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A missed opportunity |
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An uneven production but hardly one that warranted the boos that greeted the production team. |
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English National Opera kicks 2020 off with a turkey |
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A treat for the ears, if not the eyes |
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Fantastic singing, but no wonder the production was booed |
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Love, intrigue… and black paint-play |
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CarmenEnglish National OperaNo. of reviews: 8 | ![]() ![]() |
Calixto Bieito’s direct and disturbing Carmen is now in its second revival |
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Strength of ensemble in the casting is a defining factor of this ENO Carmen revival |
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Carmen à l’English National Opera, Almodóvar dans la langue de j’expire |
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This production embraces its new potential with vigour |
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On the positive side, Lithuanian mezzo-soprano Justina Gringyté played the title role in delightfully seductive style |
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Empty hunger: Bieito’s Carmen returns to ENO |
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Bieito's Carmen returns to English National Opera |
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Underpowered revival of a bold production |
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OrphéeEnglish National OperaNo. of reviews: 13 | ![]() ![]() |
Orpheus at ENO: house of the dead |
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Orpheus in London: Four Orpheus operas at the English National Opera |
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Orphée at English National Opera |
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There’s some gorgeous singing and playing |
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Classic Cocteau film gets trademark treatment from Philip Glass |
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Once again, the ENO turn out to be great advocates for the operas of Philip Glass |
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An intriguing, surreal conclusion to ENO’s Orpheus quartet |
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It really is a feast for the ears and eyes. And enthralling drama. |
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This is as opera noir it gets |
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Disquieting and beautifully done |
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Glass’s Cocteau adaptation may be marshmallowy, but this ENO production is good and sharp |
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ENO’s production and performance of Glass’s Orphée has a vitality that almost throbs |
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The cast is well stocked with ENO regulars |
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The Mask of OrpheusEnglish National OperaNo. of reviews: 12 | ![]() ![]() |
Orpheus at ENO: house of the dead |
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Orpheus in London: Four Orpheus operas at the English National Opera |
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This opera by the British composer Harrison Birtwistle is a complete mess - but a rather brilliant mess |
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Fontanals-Simmons and Hoare are standouts in ENO’s The Mask of Orpheus though orchestra gets glitterball |
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Birtwistle's The Mask of Orpheus is anything but simple |
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Birtwistle’s Mask of Orpheus submerged by high camp spectacle
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ENO reinvents Birtwhistle’s Mask of Orpheus with clowns, latex and oodles of camp |
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Daniel Kramer's camp carnival defuses any focus in Birtwistle's bruising score |
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Not for the first time, alas, ENO has snatched defeat from the jaws of victory |
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A mysterious spectacle which pushes unusual emotional buttons |
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Travesty of a production is nothing to laugh about |
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For the average audience, this is a physical and mental ordeal |
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Orphée aux EnfersEnglish National OperaNo. of reviews: 10 | ![]() ![]() |
Orpheus at ENO: house of the dead |
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Orpheus in London: Four Orpheus operas at the English National Opera |
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Orphée aux Enfers, Offenbach version british à l'English National Opera |
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To hell with it |
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Emma Rice’s #MeToo ENO Orpheus in the Underworld is bleached of all its inherent charm |
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A humourless hike to Hades |
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The company has assembled a good ensemble of old pros and new blood, with interesting results |
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Balloons for tutus and jarring tragedy |
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Emma Rice’s misjudged production |
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Emma Rice's lively new production somewhat misses the point of Offenbach |
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Lucia Lucas: Making UK operatic debut at the ENO
Lucia Lucas has entered into the history books by becoming the first transgender singer to perform with the English National Opera in London.
Lucia Lucas has entered into the history books by becoming the first transgender singer to perform with the English National Opera in London.
Orfeo ed EuridiceEnglish National OperaNo. of reviews: 15 | ![]() ![]() |
Orpheus at ENO: house of the dead |
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Orpheus in London: Four Orpheus operas at the English National Opera |
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To hell with it |
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Extraordinary colours and choreography in Gluck’s Orpheus and Eurydice |
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Wayne McGregor’s ENO debut is all about the dance |
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Wayne McGregor's stylish take on Gluck's Orpheus, with Alice Coote in the title role, opens ENO's new season |
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Gluck has got the ENO's Orpheus season off to a good start |
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A visually distinctive Orpheus and Eurydice from English National Opera |
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The cheerleaders flooding the auditorium in fawning support roared with support |
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Wayne McGregor provides a striking staging |
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Wayne McGregor’s reach-me-down choreography is an intrusive presence on stage |
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Pellucid music and two heart-tugging leads let down by anodyne choreography |
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Much to admire in ENOs staging of Orpheus and Eurydice |
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Wayne McGregor's dance-opera opens ENO's 2019-20 season |
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Wayne McGregor’s visually striking production |
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The MikadoEnglish National OperaNo. of reviews: 2 | ![]() |
Looks fresher than it feels |
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Jonathan Miller’s The Mikado returns once more to ENO but is showing its age |
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Noye's FluddeEnglish National OperaNo. of reviews: 7 | ![]() |
A charming, heartfelt new production of Noye's Fludde that shows off Britten's skill in writing for children |
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All aboard |
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Floods theatre with colour and a nervous moose |
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A rousing, colourful production |
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An engaging production of Noye’s Fludde offers considerably more than the sum of its parts |
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Two-by-two in Stratford East: Britten's Noye's Fludde on location |
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Lucky Stratford East to have such resources, talent and ambition in its midst |
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Hansel und GretelEnglish National OperaNo. of reviews: 5 | ![]() |
Midsummer may seem an odd time for a pantomime, but this production really works |
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ENO take fairytale opera and fly with it |
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An enchanting Hansel and Gretel at Regent's Park Theatre |
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ENO and the Open Air Theatre join forces for a lip-smacking Hansel and Gretel |
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A magical evening at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre |
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Dido and AeneasEnglish National OperaNo. of reviews: 4 | ![]() |
Dido for generation Z |
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A fuzzy update of Purcell’s opera for a younger audience |
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Purcell's Queen comes over all Bridget Jones in incoherent staging |
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Purcell's opera renamed and relocated by ENO and the Unicorn Theatre |
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Opera's Dido
From Queen of Carthage to single mum in Bermondsey.
From Queen of Carthage to single mum in Bermondsey.
Paul BunyanEnglish National OperaNo. of reviews: 5 | ![]() |
A very up-market pantomime |
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ENO’s Paul Bunyan is a magnificent, hugely entertaining evening |
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The cast is extremely strong |
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Paul Bunyan is a strange hybrid of a piece |
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Singing animals, heroic lumberjacks, pure melody and riotous entertainment in ENO's Paul Bunyan |
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Jack the RipperEnglish National OperaNo. of reviews: 12 | ![]() ![]() |
Vocally it’s an operatic perfect storm |
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ENO’s Jack the Ripper: The Women of Whitechapel gets lost in the Whitechapel maze |
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ENO's Jack the Ripper needs to decide if it wants to be a gore-fest or social history |
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A new opera tells the stories of Jack the Ripper’s victims |
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A crucial corrective that fails to match its ambition |
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An impressive achievement |
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The casting of this production is absolutely first rate and redeems a production which splinters too often |
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Iain Bell's new opera for ENO |
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An important addition to the operatic repertoire |
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Draining the life out of a full-blooded story |
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Murder victims refuse to come to life |
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A limited achievement |
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associated articles [+]
The opera bringing dignity back to Jack the Ripper's victims
In The Women of Whitechapel, it is not the serial killer who’s the star, but three generations of formidable ENO singing talent evoking colourful lives in the slum streets he stalked.
In The Women of Whitechapel, it is not the serial killer who’s the star, but three generations of formidable ENO singing talent evoking colourful lives in the slum streets he stalked.
Die ZauberflöteEnglish National OperaNo. of reviews: 8 | ![]() ![]() |
McBurney has turned a great Mozart opera into something even greater |
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News & Articles
The London Coliseum will reopen with Mozart's Requiem |
The London Coliseum, one of the largest venues in London, will reopen for two days of special performances of Mozart's Requiem, presented by the English National Opera. |
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English National Opera cancels ‘A Christmas Carol’ |
Due to social distanced restrictions the company has come to the regrettable decision to cancel ‘A Christmas Carol’ planned for the first week of December this year. |
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English National Opera launches program to help COVID-19 patients |
English National Opera will take part in”ENO Breathe,” a rehabilitation program aimed at supporting patients recovering from COVID-19. |
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English National Opera announces new Harewood Artists for summer 2020 |
The new members of ENO’s programme for exceptionally talented singers are Alexandra Oomens (soprano), Benson Wilson (baritone) and William Thomas (bass). |
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ENO to stage world's first live drive-in opera |
The world’s first live drive-in opera will take place at Alexandra Palace, as the English National Opera is set to stage La bohème outdoors. |
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