Exclusive: ENO is hit by 10-week cancellation
mainWe hear that the musical Bat Out of Hell which was meant to be playing at the Coliseum throughout this summer has been cancelled.
English National Opera is keen to stress that it won’t be out of pocket as these things get covered usually by insurance.
But it throws the schedule into chaos, and probably the budgets as well.
The company just cannot climb out of crisis.
We also hear that the musical Chess, which is due to start rehearsing at ENO next month, has yet to find a cast.
It’s getting tense out there.
Two questions:- Why was it cancelled? Why are ENO doing Musicals instead of Operas?
If it won’t be out of pocket, then no it won’t throw the budget into chaos. And it’ll just mean the theatre is dark for ten weeks, so again not chaos.
Most theatres prefer not to be dark for a fifth of the year?
Naive questions: can’t they put together a run or two of some standard fare to fill at least some of the gaps? Can’t they invite a touring group to use the theatre at a cut-price rate?
I thought ENO’s Arts Council approved strategy was to put on lots of popular musicals to underwrite the small season of operas they can now put on each year.
Perhaps ENO could, you know, stage some operas in the absence of anything else.
It’s been pubic knowledge for some time that ‘Bat Out of Hell’ was going to The Dominion Theatre when it returned to the UK after the Canadian performances (The company returned last week and start rehearsals in the next few weeks).
Neither ENO or The London Coliseum is in chaos or going through a crisis. Audiences can look forward to a summer programme which includes the Opera North production of ‘Kiss Me Kate’, the musical ‘Chess’ and a summer season given by English National Ballet.
Exclusive? Apart from the fact that Bat Out of Hell announced all over the press that they were re-opening at The Dominion Theatre on 4 December (last year). Just Google Bat Out Of Hell and select “news!. Plenty of mainstream coverage. eg: https://www.standard.co.uk/go/london/theatre/bat-out-of-hell-the-musical-to-transfer-to-the-dominion-theatre-next-year-a3710056.html
What a load of crap bat it aint even playing here this summer. It at the dominion
It was previously booked to return to the Coli this summer.
No it wasn’t, within days of it leaving the coliseum most people knew it was coming back thus year but it won’t be going back to the coliseum! It was late September when rumours started swirling that it was going to the dominion and early December when it was announced officially.
No, it wasn’t. Almost every word in this article is inaccurate.
I ran it past ENO yesterday morning. They corroborated it.
im sorry but you are 1000% wrong. Bat was never coming back to the coliseum
You sure you’re not confusing last years news with this years.BOOH had an extended run up to the end of August at The Coliseum before heading to Canada. Dates for its return to London were announced in December for the Dominion so why try to blame BOOHTM for the ENO not being able to fill its venue!
Where did you hear this? Bat’s run at the Dominion was announced in November and tickets went on sale in December.
https://www.broadwayworld.com/amp/c.php?url=BAT-OUT-OF-HELL-to-Fly-Into-Londons-Dominion-Theater-This-April-20171130