| English Touring Opera - Touring | 1 May 2024 |
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The Rake's Progress
Manon Lescaut
La Cenerentola
Il viaggio a Reims
Giulio Cesare in Egitto
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Performance reviews
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Giulio Cesare: The Death of PompeyEnglish Touring OperaNo. of reviews: 11 | |
Uncut and in two parts, Handel's opera seria given a strongly characterised new production |
 9 Oct 17 / Planet Hugill |
Experiencing the work in this full-blown and highly innovative form proves to be extremely worthwhile |
| 9 Oct 17 / Music OMH |
The breadth of music here makes the two parts a long haul |
| 8 Oct 17 / Classical Source |
more reviews [+]
A Cleopatra to die for |
| 7 Oct 17 / Telegraph |
ETO’s full-length performance of Handel’s masterpiece is all about close-focus drama and subtly developing characterisation |
| 6 Oct 17 / The Times |
An astute and detailed production of the first half of Handel’s Julius Caesar |
| 6 Oct 17 / The Stage |
ToscaEnglish Touring OperaNo. of reviews: 17 | |
Every emotion is portrayed in a real, honest, and moving way |
| 2 Jun 17 / The Reviews Hub |
ETO's Tosca conveys the inexorable progress to tragedy |
| 22 May 17 / The Opera Critic |
English Touring Opera’s Tosca captivates the audience at Cambridge Arts Theatre |
| 27 Apr 17 / Cambridge News |
more reviews [+]
Paula Sides was a convincing Tosca, a strong stage presence with a clear voice and delivery |
| 19 Apr 17 / Ipswich Star |
Paula Sides' singing was clear and confident |
| 13 Apr 17 / Express & Star |
Fast-paced, passionate and raw |
| 13 Apr 17 / The Birmingham Post |
Paula Sides’ Tosca is superb |
| 23 Mar 17 / The Reviews Hub |
ETO has chosen two works for its 2017 spring tour that it admits “have nothing in common, except they are very, very good” |
| 13 Mar 17 / Express |
The verticality and almost neo-classical severity of the stage calls to mind a Fascist architectural vision |
| 13 Mar 17 / A Younger Theatre |
An uneven new production of Puccini's popular shocker heads out round Britain |
| 13 Mar 17 / What's on Stage |
ETO has fielded many memorable productions, but this Tosca isn’t in that illustrious league |
| 11 Mar 17 / Classical Source |
ETO begin their Spring tour and bring Tosca to the Hackney Empire |
| 11 Mar 17 / Seen and Heard |
ETO's Tosca is promising but needs more punch |
| 8 Mar 17 / Telegraph |
ETO's uneven new staging comes alive in the pit |
| 7 Mar 17 / The Guardian |
A spirited production |
| 7 Mar 17 / The Stage |
A disappointing Tosca |
| 6 Mar 17 / Opera Today |
A bloodless Tosca from English Touring Opera |
| 6 Mar 17 / Bachtrack |
PatienceEnglish Touring OperaNo. of reviews: 11 | |
An enjoyable production suitable for Gilbert and Sullivan fans and newcomers alike |
| 25 May 17 / The Reviews Hub |
Fresh, funny, frivolous: Gilbert & Sullivan's Patience from English Touring Opera in Cambridge |
| 28 Apr 17 / Bachtrack |
The various groups – aesthetes, maidens and military – were brilliantly characterised |
| 19 Apr 17 / Ipswich Star |
more reviews [+]
Patience is a virtue |
| 9 Apr 17 / The Opera Critic |
What fun! |
| 15 Mar 17 / Mark Ronan's Theatre Reviews |
TO has chosen two works for its 2017 spring tour that it admits “have nothing in common, except they are very, very good” |
| 13 Mar 17 / Express |
A lesson in Patience |
| 13 Mar 17 / Opera Today |
Top-notch Gilbert and Sullivan from English Touring Opera provides irresistible fun |
| 13 Mar 17 / What's on Stage |
Pointed delight |
| 13 Mar 17 / Planet Hugill |
ETO miss a trick with their G&S debut |
| 12 Mar 17 / The Observer |
Gilbert and Sullivan's satire still stings in ETO’s expertly comic production |
| 10 Mar 17 / The Guardian |
XerxesEnglish Touring OperaNo. of reviews: 8 | |
A genuinely entertaining production |
| 24 Nov 16 / The Reviews Hub |
Three ways not to do tragicomedy |
| 20 Oct 16 / The Spectator |
This production offers many musical rewards |
| 12 Oct 16 / Opera Today |
more reviews [+]
ETO’s quirky revival sparkles vocally but is not all plane sailing |
| 12 Oct 16 / Bachtrack |
ETO proves once again they can play with the big boys |
| 11 Oct 16 / A Younger Theatre |
Only half the cast have comprehensible diction |
| 11 Oct 16 / Independent |
A highly accessible take on the story by setting it on an RAF base during the Second World War |
| 11 Oct 16 / Music OMH |
ETO revives its WWII airbase production of Handel's popular opera |
| 10 Oct 16 / What's on Stage |
La CalistoEnglish Touring OperaNo. of reviews: 13 | |
English Touring Opera captures and bottles the madness in Cavalli's Baroque comedy |
| 7 Nov 16 / What's on Stage |
An ebullient production of La Calisto |
| 2 Nov 16 / The Opera Critic |
A confident, robust performance with a modern comic twist |
| 26 Oct 16 / Bath Chronicle |
more reviews [+]
Comedy, musical richness and social commentary mingle in this early Venetian classic |
| 22 Oct 16 / Limelight |
Three ways not to do tragicomedy |
| 20 Oct 16 / The Spectator |
The staging is dynamic, and there is a fair dose of bawdy humour |
| 19 Oct 16 / Music OMH |
English Touring Opera pulls off two more unmissable shows |
| 19 Oct 16 / Independent |
A Venetian double |
| 19 Oct 16 / Opera Today |
The cast of ten worked well as a team to bring out the lusts and life of this opera |
| 19 Oct 16 / Mark Ronan's Theatre Reviews |
ETO's new productions of Cavalli and Monteverdi’s 17th-century masterpieces are imaginatively staged and finely sung |
| 17 Oct 16 / The Guardian |
Stylish period music-making |
| 17 Oct 16 / The Stage |
A fun-filled La Calisto from English Touring Opera at the Hackney Empire |
| 17 Oct 16 / Bachtrack |
In the title role, Paula Sides used her radiant soprano and emotive acting with poignant results |
| 16 Oct 16 / Classical Source |
Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patriaEnglish Touring OperaNo. of reviews: 14 | |
A welcome return |
| 4 Nov 16 / Bachtrack |
English Touring Opera has mounted a strongly cast account of Monteverdi's final opera |
| 4 Nov 16 / What's on Stage |
ETO's Ulysses' Homecoming is a joy to watch |
| 31 Oct 16 / The Opera Critic |
more reviews [+]
Fine work from all the cast |
| 23 Oct 16 / Express |
Three ways not to do tragicomedy |
| 20 Oct 16 / The Spectator |
English Touring Opera pulls off two more unmissable shows |
| 19 Oct 16 / Independent |
A Venetian double |
| 19 Oct 16 / Opera Today |
A fine opportunity to see Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria |
| 19 Oct 16 / Mark Ronan's Theatre Reviews |
A fine production of a great baroque opera |
| 18 Oct 16 / Telegraph |
An entertaining and skillfully staged production |
| 18 Oct 16 / British Theatre |
English Touring Opera has woven magic from Monteverdi in a beautifully thought-through production |
| 18 Oct 16 / Classical Source |
English Touring Opera's production starts and finishes with extraordinary scenes |
| 17 Oct 16 / Broadway World |
ETO's new productions of Cavalli and Monteverdi’s 17th-century masterpieces are imaginatively staged and finely sung |
| 17 Oct 16 / The Guardian |
Dignity and integrity |
| 17 Oct 16 / The Stage |
Don GiovanniEnglish Touring OperaNo. of reviews: 14 | |
Musically speaking, this was a feast for the ears |
| 7 Jun 16 / The York Press |
A vibrant, exciting, engaging – and truly operatic – rendition of what is arguably Mozart’s most famous production |
| 27 May 16 / The Reviews Hub |
ETO's dark, underground Giovanni is evenly cast |
| 23 May 16 / The Opera Critic |
more reviews [+]
An economic but true version of the piece |
| 18 May 16 / The Good Review |
An absolute triumph of sustained power and technique |
| 28 Apr 16 / Cambridge News |
ETO take their atmospheric Don Giovanni around the country |
| 16 Apr 16 / Seen and Heard |
Three cheers for the English Touring Opera |
| 11 Apr 16 / Opera Today |
Lust, passion, revenge, deceit, drama and sex... |
| 6 Apr 16 / The Gay UK |
This intriguing new production sets the action in the underground world of Vienna during the early 1900s |
| 16 Mar 16 / Mark Ronan's Theatre Reviews |
This show rattles along with tremendous energy and wit |
| 15 Mar 16 / Opera Britannia |
A dark and dingy Don Giovanni from English Touring Opera |
| 15 Mar 16 / Bachtrack |
Mozart's dark vision delivers subterranean thrills |
| 14 Mar 16 / The Guardian |
Unmissable Mozart from English Touring Opera, and it's travelling the land |
| 14 Mar 16 / What's on Stage |
Enchanting and vividly characterised production of Mozart's perennial classic |
| 14 Mar 16 / Planet Hugill |
Pia de' TolomeiEnglish Touring OperaNo. of reviews: 10 | |
Il fascino nostalgico dell'opera 'di giro' |
| 28 Apr 16 / Il Giornale della Musica (Ita) |
This minor Donizetti opera remains something of a dud |
| 13 Apr 16 / Gloucestershire Echo |
Bel canto shines through the preposterous plot |
| 11 Apr 16 / The Opera Critic |
more reviews [+]
Three cheers for the English Touring Opera |
| 11 Apr 16 / Opera Today |
Marvellous stuff, the very soul of Italian opera in the 1830s |
| 16 Mar 16 / Mark Ronan's Theatre Reviews |
Something old, something new: Donizetti's Pia de' Tolomei |
| 15 Mar 16 / Bachtrack |
Mixed messages |
| 15 Mar 16 / The Critics' Circle |
The three leads were well-matched and gave intelligent performances |
| 14 Mar 16 / Opera Britannia |
ETO has made a good fist of it |
| 12 Mar 16 / Classical Source |
Accomplished performances in taut drama |
| 12 Mar 16 / The Guardian |
Iphigenie en TaurideEnglish Touring OperaNo. of reviews: 14 | |
A psychological take on Iphigénie en Tauride |
| 11 Apr 16 / The Opera Critic |
Three cheers for the English Touring Opera |
| 11 Apr 16 / Opera Today |
James Conway’s direction did not spare the misery and grief of this intense tragedy |
| 7 Apr 16 / The Reviews Hub |
more reviews [+]
Kill or be killed |
| 30 Mar 16 / Bachtrack |
Mixed messages |
| 15 Mar 16 / The Critics' Circle |
A Full house for English Touring Opera’s excellent Iphigénie en Tauride |
| 10 Mar 16 / Seen and Heard |
Shouldn’t be missed |
| 9 Mar 16 / Telegraph |
As Iphigenia, Catherine Carby sang beautifully with fine French diction, |
| 9 Mar 16 / Mark Ronan's Theatre Reviews |
Gluck’s sombre masterpiece is clearly staged and finely conducted |
| 8 Mar 16 / The Stage |
A rare opportunity to hear this great 19th-century opera in a fine musical performance |
| 8 Mar 16 / What's on Stage |
Fierce passion, pity and terror |
| 8 Mar 16 / The Guardian |
What a joy to hear Gluck performed on modern instruments! |
| 8 Mar 16 / Boulezian |
In the title role the Australian mezzo Catherine Carby was completely in charge of Iphigénie’s suffering |
| 7 Mar 16 / Classical Source |
Remembered pain and classical style, Gluck's rarely performed masterpiece in Hackney |
| 7 Mar 16 / Planet Hugill |
Les Contes d'HoffmannEnglish Touring OperaNo. of reviews: 14 | |
A fresh, young and modern feel to a classic genre |
| 12 Nov 15 / Bath Chronicle |
ETO dishes up a fantastical Hoffmann |
| 2 Nov 15 / The Opera Critic |
Oliver Townsend's sets are wonderful |
| 29 Oct 15 / Opera Journal |
more reviews [+]
English Touring Opera has a winner of a show with The Tales of Hoffmann |
| 16 Oct 15 / Classical Source |
The Tales of Hoffmann is given coherence - and imbued with irony, wit and dramatic impact |
| 16 Oct 15 / Opera Today |
Fruitful wounds |
| 15 Oct 15 / The Critics' Circle |
Sam Furness made a beautifully convincing Hoffmann |
| 14 Oct 15 / Mark Ronan's Theatre Reviews |
Weirdly ghoulish, hugely enjoyable |
| 13 Oct 15 / Telegraph |
Offenbach reimagined as an expressionist nightmare |
| 13 Oct 15 / The Guardian |
A reasonably slick production |
| 13 Oct 15 / Music OMH |
Offenbach’s fantastical opera is imaginatively realised in ETO’s visually striking and strongly cast production |
| 13 Oct 15 / The Stage |
ETO recreates the age of silent films in Tales of Hoffmann |
| 13 Oct 15 / Seen and Heard |
Sam Furness's solid tenor leads as Hoffmann |
| 12 Oct 15 / Broadway World |
Offenbach's episodic grand opera is a major undertaking for ETO |
| 11 Oct 15 / What's on Stage |
WertherEnglish Touring OperaNo. of reviews: 12 | |
Truly, madly, but not quite deeply enough: Massenet's Werther from English Touring Opera |
| 11 Nov 15 / Bachtrack |
A sustained emotional experience |
| 7 Nov 15 / Cambridge News |
A kitchen-sink drama full of emotion |
| 31 Oct 15 / The Opera Critic |
more reviews [+]
A little bit more of Tennessee Williams wouldn't have gone amiss in this setting |
| 29 Oct 15 / Opera Journal |
Reviews search
Performance schedule
Puccini
24 Feb to 25 May 2024
Stravinsky
2 Mar to 24 May 2024
Shahryar
5 Mar to 28 May 2024
News & Articles
| English Touring Opera announces 2023-24 season & new initiatives |
Robin Norton-Hale, the General Director of the English Touring Opera, has unveiled the company’s upcoming season and launched a multiple digital events, and educational initiatives. |
| 7 Jul 2023 / OperaWire |
| James Conway to leave English Touring Opera after 20 years |
Conway is leaving to pursue freelance opportunities, but has agreed to remain artistic director of ETO on a part-time basis until the end of 2022, working with interim chief executive Michael Garvey. |
| 21 Jan 2022 / The Stage |
| English Touring Opera announces spring 2022 performances |
ETO will perform La bohème, The Golden Cockerel and St John Passion during its spring tour. |
| 22 Dec 2021 / OperaWire |
| English Touring Opera drops half its orchestra in controversial move |
The opera company has said it’s prioritising “increased diversity in the orchestra” in line with “firm guidance of the Arts Council.” |
| 14 Sep 2021 / Classic FM |
| English Touring Opera to tour Handel’s ‘Amadigi’ in fall |
The company will return to live performances with a national autumn tour of Handel’s “Amadigi” in a new production led by director James Conway and conductor Jonathan Peter Kenny. |
| 22 Apr 2021 / OperaWire |
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