PIN English National Opera

Opera, Drama and Theatre - and all in English

English National Opera is founded on the belief that opera of the highest quality should be accessible to everyone.

At ENO opera is theatre; expressing drama through the unique combination of music, text, dance, and design. All singing is in English in the belief that this connects the performers and the audience to the drama onstage, and enhances the experience for all.

ENO collaborates across contemporary art forms, to reflect the growing diversity of our culture. They take a fresh approach right across the repertoire, from baroque to contemporary, as well as commissioning new works as part of our commitment to the future of the art form.

ENO bring their productions to the widest possible audience, whether at the London Coliseum, nationally or internationally. Their work is mad accessible by offering a large proportion of tickets at affordable prices, and by distributing it widely on screen and via digital media.They aim to introduce completely new audiences to the magic of opera through stimulating and creative learning and participation programmes.

ENO are a national company of internationally recognised standard. They nurture talent across the entire company, whether on-stage, backstage, or in the pit and provide a platform for young singers to develop global careers.

History

English National Opera traces its roots back to 1931 when Lilian Baylis established the Sadler’s Wells Opera Company at the newly re-opened the Sadler’s Wells Theatre.

Baylis had been presenting opera concerts and theatre in London since 1898 and was passionate about providing audiences with the best theatre and opera at affordable prices, a belief that remains today at the heart of ENO.

During the Second World War the Sadler’s Wells Theatre was closed and the company toured the provinces, returning to its home in June 1945 for the premiere of Benjamin Britten’s Peter Grimes, which proved to be the most important British opera since Purcell’s time. Britten remains at the heart of ENO’s repertoire and a new, sold-out production of Peter Grimes in 2009 was universally acclaimed.

In 1968 Sadler’s Wells Opera relocated from Sadler’s Wells Theatre to the London Coliseum, a theatre designed by Frank Matcham in 1904 for the theatre impresario Oswald Stoll. Six years after the move to the London Coliseum, the Company was renamed English National Opera.

In the 1960s Sadler’s Wells Opera went from strength to strength, developing a reputation for nurturing British singers and exploring the then little-known operas of Janácek under the leadership of Charles Mackerras.

The ‘powerhouse’ years of the 1980s saw important productions by, among others, David Pountney, David Alden and Nicholas Hytner. In 1984 ENO became the first British opera company to tour the United States, and in 1990 the first major foreign opera company to tour what was then the Soviet Union.

In 1992 ENO acquired the freehold to the London Coliseum and in 2000 embarked on a four-year restoration programme supported by National Heritage Lottery Fund, English Heritage, The National Lottery through Arts Council England, Vernon and Hazel Ellis and a number of generous trust and individual donors to whom we are extremely grateful. The magnificently restored theatre re-opened in 2004.

Since the re-opening ENO has gone from strength to strength and in spring 2009 the Company received every available UK opera award for work in 2008, a unique achievement. More recently, ENO’s 2015/16 season saw the ENO Orchestra and Chorus honoured with the Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Opera, and the ENO Chorus also triumphed in the International Opera Awards Chorus Category. Calixto Bieito’s production of The Force of Destiny was the winner of a Southbank Sky Arts Award.

Today ENO is known for producing groundbreaking stagings of new and core repertoire and for its exceptionally high musical standards. In recent years ENO has had particular success in attracting new audiences to opera, forging creative partnerships with opera companies around the world and in developing the careers of young British opera singers.

How to get there

The ENO is in very 'central' London close to where Brydges Place intersects St. Martins Lane. There is plenty of public transport to the London Coliseum and is easy to reach by bus, tube and rail.

By tube:

Charing Cross (5 minutes walk)
Leicester Square (4 minutes walk)
Covent Garden (7 minutes walk)
Embankment (7 minutes walk)
By rail:

Charing Cross (5 minutes walk)
Waterloo (20 minutes walk)
By bus:

3, 6, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 23, 24, 29, 53, 88, 91, 139, 159, 176
Find your best route to the London Coliseum:

Transport for London’s journey planner
National Rail Enquiries
Citymapper
Cycling

There are plenty of bike racks on St Martin’s Lane and May’s Court – you’ll have no trouble parking your bike.

Parking

London Coliseum patrons receive a 50% discount at the following Q-Park car parks:

Cavendish Square
Chinatown (Newport Place)
Poland Street
Spring Gardens
To redeem your discount, please ask the foyer desk at the London Coliseum to validate your car parking ticket and present it to an attendant at your chosen car park.

TripTide Thoughts

Visitors can immerse themselves in productions of the ENO in this beautiful large theatre - the Coliseum. The staff are invariably friendly and helpful, and although ticket prices have risen in recent years they are still much cheaper than those for the sister theatre, the nearby Royal Opera House. It is definitely one of our favourite theatres

Owner

Lucy TripTide

Lucy is a TripTide stalwart and has been with the company since inception. She is a font of knowledge of all things in our metropolis but she has a special penchant for London's historical past. She says:"London is a multi-layered confection of hi...