There was genuine excitement in the OperaWatch office at Northern Soul Towers when a missive arrived from English National Opera.
ENO was announcing its big move to Greater Manchester at MMU’s Holden Gallery and we were invited. There was a lot of discussion about the implications of such a huge move. Where would ENO be based? Would it build a new opera house? Will we need a bigger office and more staff? We even held a sweepstake as to who would go. Of course, it was rigged and I won.
I turned up, dead on time and in my best bib and tucker. Well, bib anyway. There was to be free champagne, a lot of free champagne. The Holden was a good choice of venue. Big enough to hold the great and good and their attending egos. There were people from ENO obviously, but also many musical organisations, journalists, and politicians. Hell, even Gary Neville was there. Many speeches were promised but at least the hot air would keep us warm on a cold day.
First, the master of ceremonies (I didn’t catch his name but he was sporting a nice suit) welcomed everyone, and this was followed by a short excerpt from La bohème and a very glossy PR video. Then onto the main event:. ENO’s move to Manchester.
Image by Andrew Moor
Here’s the background. In November 2022, the then Culture Minister Nadine Dorries announced that ENO’s Arts Council funding would be cut completely if it didn’t move up’t north as part of the Tory levelling up agenda. Cue mass hysteria. How cruel to send civilised Londoners north of Watford, didn’t they know it was grim up there? Resignations, threats of strikes, Tenko, forced marches with nowt but Bury black pudding and mushy peas to eat. Andy Burnham, mayor of Manchester, told them if they didn’t want to come then don’t bother.
Two years later, nearly to the day, here we are. Jenny Mollica, chief executive of ENO, opened with: “The projects we are announcing today mark the first wave of our developing partnership with Greater Manchester, which will be fully implemented by 2029.” An impressive list of new productions and developments was unveiled to an impressed audience. They included a new performance of Philip Glass and Robert Wilson’s lengthy opera Einstein on the Beach at Factory International in 2027, Britten’s Albert Herring at The Lowry in 2025, and a concert performance of Mozart’s Cosi fan tutti at The Bridgewater Hall in 2026. Other projects include working with local schools, football teams, the NHS, the University of Manchester and the Royal College of Music. Annilese Miskimmon, artistic director of ENO, said: “We are truly grateful for the inspirational support we have received from so many people and organisations in Greater Manchester to achieve this.”
It was all very positive. Even Burnham made an opening joke about his earlier comments. “It was like the beginning of an awkward rom-com where I said if you don’t want to come don’t bother. Now here we are on our first date with a possibility of a long relationship.”
I sincerely hope ENO isn’t just flirting with us. They have managed to keep their permanent base at the Coliseum in London until 2029. I want the ENO to stand by their Manc and I hope that it won’t end in D-I-V-O-R-C-E.
By Robert Hamilton, Opera Correspondent
Main image: Nardus Williams, ENO & Greater Manchester – Nov 2024 (c) Lloyd Winters. Image courtesy of English National Opera.
