English National Opera

Singing in English
The ENO is one of the UK's major Opera Houses.

The English National Opera (ENO), situated in the London Coliseum in London's West End Theatre district, is a world-class opera house that produces classic operas as well as new contemporary pieces. One of the things that sets the English National Opera apart is that all productions are sung and subtitled in the English language. It is famous for its talented singers and groundbreaking productions, and hosts at least twenty productions per year, catering to an annual audience of around 450,000.

The English National opera descends from the Vic-Wells Opera Company, formed by theatre producer Lillian Baylis (1874-1937). After touring the country during WWII, the company reopened at Sadler's Wells Theatre. In 1968 the company moved from Sadler's Wells to the London Coliseum, where it took the name 'English National Opera' in 1974. The mid 1980s were a very strong period that enhanced ENO's reputation, under the directorship of Peter Jonas. In 1984, it was the first British opera company to tour in the United States, and in 1990, the company became the first major foreign opera house to tour the former Soviet Union. In 2000, the company embarked on a four year program to restore the London Coliseum.

The period from the 1980s until the late 2000s was marked by a more experimental production style which shocked some conservative opera fans. However, it has opened up opera to a younger audience, and done much to dispell the notion of opera as an 'elitist', 'middle class' art form. Updated costumes and scenery made it easier for younger people to relate to the ENO's work. Reinterpretation of the classics did not come without a certain amount of controversy, though. The directors and artists of the 1980s and 1990s ENO were sometimes accused of indulging their egos instead of fulfilling the intentions of the composer.

The English National Opera has notably staged a number of classic operas, including two complete stagings of Wagner's Ring cycle, Madama Butterfly and Salome. It has also revived operettas into the repertoire of English opera. The ENO tends to avoid operas where the vocals take precedence in favor of those that are a full combination of vocal, musical and dramatic content. Again, these are often staged in a different style than many opera-goers are used to. For instance a production of The Mikado, a Gilbert and Sullivan work, was performed as a 1930s musical comedy!

Although the English National Opera has recently suffered a number of financial and artistic difficulties that have caused them to reduce their production schedule somewhat, opera continues to be performed in an innovative and unique style at the London Coliseum. Recent and near future productions include On the Town, Spartacus, and Don Quixote. The opera has recently won both opera awards at the prestigious Olivier Awards, and continues to create exciting new productions sung only in English.