Friday, October 10, 2003

BART SIMPSON SAVES OPERA COMPANY

Well, not quite:

"Yesterday the artistic director [of the English National Opera], Sean Doran, announced the biggest sponsorship deal in its history, £3m over three years from Sky and the digital channel Artsworld. And its Ring Cycle next year has got the largest sponsorship for a single production - £300,000 from the MFI group, best known for bargain kitchens.

No jokes about flatpack scenery, please.

Meanwhile, we went to see the ENO in its temporary home at the Barbican Theatre for a straight-up, light-hearted production of "Cosi fan tutte" last Monday.

It might be a shame when the ENO move back to the Coliseum. It was nice to go to a venue where you could see and hear the performance, not get put to sleep by the heat of the auditorium, get a decent bite to eat (in the complex), a good reasonably priced drink and, most importantly, leg room. Let's see what the refurbished Coliseum can measure up.

Downside at the Barbican? A pain to get home from when Thameslink is closed as it was on Monday. Sterile 70's planning nightmare setting.

And, fooey to the Royal Shakespeare Company for abandoning the Barbican.

:: Posted by pete @ 14:17