English National Opera

Superb venue for ballet and opera although if you are going to see Sweeney Todd you should know balcony seats are severely restricted view

In Spring 2014, the English National Opera commissioned and debuted an opera adaptation Sophocles’ Theban plays, called Thebans. We all know the screwed up story of poor Oedipus, this was that same story, condensed and rearranged a bit.
This was a modern opera, and seemed to lack the musical phrasing otherwise notable in most famous classic operas. Not knowing enough about opera, I can only assume this was deliberate. The lack of an identifiable melody delivered an unsettled vibe, very effectively conveying the emotions of the characters and making for some seriously incredible musical moments, most notably, the confrontation between Haemon and Creon during Antigone (this specific moment is the reason I rated it 4 stars).
Speaking of Antigone, it was our group’s consensus that this was by far the best act. Antigone is the third of three Theban plays, but was for some unknown reason the second act of Thebans; an unnecessary choice, but I guess it worked. This act was intense and impressive. It displayed the talents of the actors, orchestra, directing, and set design marvelously.
We were in the second row of the stalls, so the orchestra pit was visible, but not degrading to the experience. In fact, the orchestra, while relatively small, had quite the interesting assortment of instruments, to include an alto flute! That’s legit! AND a contrabass bassoon? Double legit! Also, one of the bass players looked like Julianne Moore, so that’s not bad either.
Overall, it’s not for everyone. Out of our group of four, the two guys enjoyed it more than the two girls – and that’s saying something when you consider one of the girls is starring in a stage production of Antigone in Northampton in three weeks! Still, despite the oddities of the modern opera we saw, this is clearly a spectacular group of performers and a worthy night out.

I attended a performance of Swan Lake here and I must say I wasn’t terribly impressed. I wasn’t impressed with the dancing or the set. The theatre seemed old and didnt accomodate large numbers of people well, which isn’t good when you have tiny bars and toilets during intermissions. I have been to many performances at the nearby Royal Opera House and spent less on seats and was blown away, but I thought the experience here was mediocre comparatively.

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring not even a Josephine!
Okay it wasn’t quite Christmas Eve, but it was Christmas Eve Eve Eve and I did have the pleasure of visiting and viewing the Nutcracker with a wonderful group of people. I have to admit that I wasn’t much in the «spirit» of things prior to my visit, but the combination of the atmosphere, the venue, the music, the dancing and the sweet sweet story, how can one not fall in love with the season, all over again.
The theatre it’s not as big as some but that is one of the reasons that I adore it so. The thought and beauty that went into the architecture, make it a hit with both adults and children alike. It reminds me of an old fashioned hand crafted doll’s house; every details intentional and each colour considered. Nothing in that building happened by accident and the flow and rhythm all work in perfect harmony.
Mmmm, what a pleasure.

My recent visit here was to see the ‘Nutcracker’ and it was magical indeed. Being in London on the Christmas weekend with friends and family to see what to me is the quintessential Christmas story is what it’s all about.
Always difficult to review a theatre rather than the normal places we visit as a theatre experience always includes a performance which may or may not be to your liking due to production or performers or, as it once was at the Royal Opera House, a poorly played score (YES it does happen peepz, I kid you not). I suspect the conductor had his baton on warp factor 10. Beam me up Spotty.
I think what has always appealed to me about the ENO is it’s working class origins and how it originated from the Old Vic theatre in 1889. This is a theatre for the people not the ‘Toffs’ who attend the Royal Opera House and I am more than chuffed that it has always refused all attempts to merge it with The Royal Opera.
In the case of the ENO I could happily sit here with the curtain down and just soak up the ambiance. It is a special place and if you swing a ticket in the Orchestra stalls then you are laffin’ My favourite spot is row ‘O’ Seat 1 as it is 2 steps away from the bar and come the interval you can be face down in a Vodka and Tonic in seconds.
Shssss … curtain up :)

The theatre from the outside does not look like much… BUT once inside its another world, truly beautiful, really stylish and the show on offer at the time was amazing, the facilities was very good, VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

We had a hard time finding this theatre. The signage for the street and for the theatre itself is practically non-​existant so look for bright lights and a brick building and matching multiple doors across the street from the Starbucks. Yeah sorry for the lack of address. 1600 Pennsylvania is the White House address but evidently this theatre is so famous it doesn’t need a proper numbered address. Nope. Not even at their website. 2 different GPS’s had us in 2 nearby alleys.
Once we found it we loved their self check kiosk machine for online purchases. Swipe your card and it will print out your ticket like at the airport! Love it! I welcome any modernisation to London. Bring it!
Like many theatres in London, it’s small so it’s hard to have bad seats. But third row aisle was ridiculously good. Yup bragging. Sorry.
The seats were cushy and comfortable for the 3 act Cinderella ballet and for me at 5’6″ I was just peachy. But if you’re tall, you’ll be suffering like the guy 2 seats down. He seem 6’2″ maybe? He was performing his own ballet in his seat trying to find space for his knees. Poor guy. Stretch beforehand and not into my girlfriend please. =)
i feel would feel neglectful if I didn’t mention that I deeply enjoyed the ballet Cinderella with Momoko Hirata as Cinderella. I hope to see more ballets here in the future.

Well, given that I’m a trained opera singer, I’m sure to have a different take on the TURANDOT I saw back in November. I was excited, for sure, to see the ENO production, as the lead soprano is a friend of a friend. But I’d been warned she was not a real Turandot voice. That being said, she sang well, and if it lacked the «balls to the wall» sound you truly want for the role, still, she was good. The production was odd, seemed to be set in a Chinese restaurant or nightclub, and the Ping/​Pang/​Pong gents were chefs? Strange. All in all, I’m glad I experienced it. I’ve seen better (try the magnificent Metropolitan Opera production, if you get a really GOOD Turandot it can be amazing), but I’ve seen worse as well (NY City Opera, with a totally underpowered Turandot & Calaf, who could barely finish the first big scene, much less the show). The theatre is large and lovely, but the seats in the far upstairs are simply benches w/​covers and are short, uncomfortable, and bad for anyone who is tall! My knees were killing me by the end of the night!

Okay, okay. So I like opera. I also like thrash metal, jazz, soul and dance music. Opera is fun though.
I’ve been to see the ENO a few times and usually enjoy their productions. Most recently, I saw their production of Puccini’s Turandot; you know, the one with Nessum Dorma. To say I was blown away with the production is an understatement. It was lavish, slightly crazy, imaginative, and visually stunning. On top of that the singing was ace.
There are only a few more performances left, if you can; go!

Possibly a slightly biased view — boyfriend and I went to see Lucia di Lammermoor there last year, not having done much research on ENO and we were horrified to hear it in English.
Translating operas from the colourful and expressive Italian/​French into English just isn’t something I can appreciate I’m afraid. The venue was lovely, I may give it a few more chances before giving up on Anglofied operas.

I have been to several productions performed by the English National Opera (ENO) and I have walked away thinking that this is an excellent opera company but not exceptional. I love opera but do not claim to be an opera aficionado. I love the hall where the ENO performs. Whenever I enter I feel as if I’ve stepped into the past and am reminded of the splendour on a Dangerous Liaisons scale. The only thing missing is Glenn Close. The architecture is beautiful with intricate designs on the ceiling and various spots throughout the theatre.
As for the company’s performances, I will readily admit that I don’t like opera sung in English. However, despite that the voices of the performers are beautiful but I never feel moved to tears. The very first time I saw Madame Butterfly the performance was so powerful that I could feel the music moving through me. The ENO never reaches me in that way. The produces are set beautifully and the costumes are exquisite. I love the way each performance is staged and they make each performance their own. I have seen a number of operas performed by other opera company’s but the ENO does an exceptional job of putting its own stamp on their performances.
The ENO performances are outstanding and worth spending an evening at the opera!

The English National Opera (ENO), is one of the world’s most respected opera companies. Their productions are typically far from staid, offering an aesthetic updated squarely in the rich, heady days of Cool Britannia. Having relatively recently taken possession of the London Coliseum the ENO has settled in a bit more in the artistic establishment, after years of being at least nominally nomadic, the younger, less posh cousin of their Royal neighbours. You’re not going to see stuffy crushed velvet Zefirelli sets here, not in the slightest. Their recent production of Boris Godunov was literally hair-​raising, and it’s certainly not every company who can achieve such visceral results. Another recent success of visionary theatre production was a Billy Budd that won awards around the world, cementing the companies name as one to watch. When feeling flush I take the plunge into the better seats. £5 tickets may be handy but you will literally see nothing.