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Under-30s rush for cheap seats at the ENO
Louise Jury, Chief Arts Correspondent19 Sep 2008
English National Opera has seen a massive growth in its membership scheme for the under-thirties.
Its Access All Arias scheme, founded two years ago for younger fans, has risen to 5,600 members making it the largest of its kind in Europe. That is a growth of 72 per cent in the past 12 months.
As the new season launches this weekend, the company is hoping to build on last year's attendance figures which were the best in a decade. The ENO's home, the Coliseum, played to 85 per cent capacity, up from 68 per cent the previous season. ENO is flagging up its achievements after the rival Royal Opera House's much-talked about season opening this month. Covent Garden introduced an offer in a national tabloid newspaper to attract new audiences.
But the ENO management team - of chief executive Loretta Tomasi, artistic director John Berry and music director Edward Gardner - believes its own affordable tickets have been overlooked.
Ms Tomasi said the ENO's cheap ticket scheme backed by Sky Arts was "the largest discount ticket scheme in the UK". About 14,000 seats will be available for £20 - against a normal price of £30 to £45 - in the dress circle during 2008/2009 thanks to the broadcaster's sponsorship.
The season starts with Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci on Saturday. Lee Hall, the writer of Billy Elliot, has produced a translation of Leoncavallo's Pagliacci while Sean O'Brien, the TS Eliot Prize-winning poet, has translated Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana. Hall, 41, has updated the 16th/17th century Italian comedy troupe to TV actors in 1979 Sunderland. But he said the result was "very true" to the original.
