Theatre / News
ENO withdraws from BOV ‘Orfeo’ co-production
English National Opera (ENO) and Bristol Old Vic have regretfully announced that ENO has withdrawn from their planned April 2015 co-production of Orfeo. The production has therefore been postponed while Bristol Old Vic seeks new partners.
ENO’s decision to withdraw was made as they seek to produce a balanced budget for the 2015/16 financial year, given the challenging funding situation from April 2015.
John Berry, Artistic Director of ENO, said: “We are very sorry not to be working with Bristol Old Vic next year on what would have been ENO’s first UK project outside London in 15 years. However, maintaining a stable financial position is crucial to the company’s future and the ENO Board and management agreed that we must reassess our artistic ambitions and align them with the funds available during 15/16.
“Tom Morris is a valued collaborator of ENO’s, whose wonderful work on our production of The Death of Klinghoffer just opened at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. We appreciate his understanding over this situation and we will certainly keep the dialogue open between our two organisations.
“Despite this disappointment, ENO’s 14/15 season remains an exciting one and we remain fully committed to providing great opportunities for young talent, with nine ENO Harewood Artists performing 12 named roles in other productions.”
Tom Morris, Artistic Director of Bristol Old Vic said: “Obviously the decision ENO has had to take is deeply regrettable, given the level of excitement in the city about a partnership combining Bristol Old Vic’s vision for a production of Orfeo and the resources and expertise of ENO.
“Bristol Old Vic remains committed to bringing an innovative and accessible production of this exquisite opera to our beautiful theatre and we will continue to explore ways of achieving this within the next couple of years.
“We are deeply sympathetic to ENO in their current situation and share their frustration in having to postpone their ambition to perform further throughout the UK.”
Any customers who have purchased tickets through the Bristol Old Vic box office will be able to transfer them to other shows within Bristol Old Vic’s programme, hold them as credit against a future production of Orfeo at Bristol Old Vic, or receive a full refund. Bristol Old Vic box office will be contacting all ticket holders in the coming week.
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