A new season of ENO-Enders is about to start, with an all-new cast, new characters and dazzling new storylines and plots to keep audiences glued to what's going on at the Coliseum, the home of English National Opera. After the explosive cliffhanger ending of season one just before Christmas, Artistic Director Sean Doran has gone and is replaced by John Berry, previously seen as Director of Opera Programming. Loretta Tomasi who formerly starred in the drama as Executive Director is now Chief Executive and the tempestuous Chairman Martin Smith has not signed up for the new season but will instead be covered in his role by Vernon Ellis, formerly Vice Chairman.
Along with this all-new cast in the title roles at London's favourite opera house, there will be some exciting new characters who the executives hope will bring some much needed colour to the series. In the new season, hip young things Asian Dub Foundation will make a guest appearance with a politically charged performance of new opera Gaddafi.
Contemporary composer Philip Glass will also premiere a new work based on the early life of Gandhi called Satyagraha: MK Gandhi in South Africa. In a challenging new development in the previously safe ENO programme, Glass will present his new opera in April next year - in Sanskrit. Abandoning English language for this production is certainly going to raise a few eyebrows in regular ENO-Enders audiences: ENO prides itself on performing all operas in English, even providing controversial surtitles for folks to follow as the stories unfold - but clearly, it's all change this time.
If you thought the last season of ENO-Enders was gripping, stayed tune for the new season - the ENO, 2006 / 2007 season with more music, more drama, more scandal, cliffhangers and characters than ever before!
