English Touring Opera Brings 2 Classics To Durham

English Touring Opera (ETO), the nation’s leading touring opera company, bring two brand-new productions to Gala Theatre Durham in May 2026. Featuring the company’s first ever production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s fizzing comedy The Gondoliers and Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci in a new English translation, ETO also bring a new opera for children, Ada and the Code Crusaders, to schools in Durham.

 ETO brings world-class theatre at high-street prices and impactful education and community projects to more towns and cities than any other UK opera company in its mission to make exceptional artistic experiences available to all.   

Considered Gilbert and Sullivan’s last great success, The Gondoliers is a fizzing comedy of mistaken identity that marries joy and chaos with a sharp satire of monarchy and class. Director and choreographer Liam Steel returns to the company to direct the production, following 2017’s critically acclaimed Patience and Olivier-Award winning Paul Bunyan in 2014, presenting a technicolour vision of 18th century Venice full of movement and energy. Joining him to helm the production is conductor Helen Harrison.  

Robin Bailey and Samuel Pantcheff sing the roles of gondoliers Marco and Giuseppe, with Phil Wilcox – a stalwart of many recent ETO productions and its operas for children – as the Duke of Plaza-Toro. Mezzo-soprano Lauren Young, acclaimed for her appearances in ETO’s The Rake’s Progress and Cinderella, also returns to the company to sing the role of the Duchess of Plaza-Toro. Natasha Agarwal sings Gianetta in her first principal role for the company, with Beth Moxon as Tessa; the cast is completed by George Robarts (Luiz), Kelli-Ann Masterson (Casilda) and Matthew Siveter (Don Alhambra del Bolero). 

The production has been critically acclaimed, with 5* reviews across the board – The Guardian stated “this fast-paced, intricately choreographed show is a masterclass in clarity over chaos... pure laugh-out-loud entertainment”, and Opera Now magazine called the production “a masterpiece and testament to the importance of ETO’s presence across the country.” 

The tour also features a new production of Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci, in a new English translation by ETO Artistic Director Robin Norton-Hale. Ripped from the headlines about a real-life crime case from the composer’s own childhood, Pagliacci is the story of the very public breakdown of a passionate relationship between two celebrated actors in an intense 90 minutes of drama. Eleanor Burke – founder of groundbreaking sustainable opera company Green Opera and graduate of the Royal Ballet and Opera’s Jette Parker Programme – makes her ETO directorial debut with Pagliacci, which explores the dark side of fame and obsessive love in a production inspired by the relationship of Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. 

 Soprano Paula Sides – who sung the title role in the company’s 2023 production of Lucrezia Borgia – returns to ETO in the role of Nedda, joined by tenor Ronald Samm as Canio, a role he recently performed to critical acclaim at West Green House Opera. Baritones Matthew Siveter and Danny Shelvey sing the roles of Tonio and Silvio respectively, and tenor Harry Grigg sings the role of Beppe in his principal role debut with the company. ETO Music Director Gerry Cornelius conducts, while Michael Pavelka (Set Designer), Laura Jane Stanfield (Costume Designer) and Zeynep Kepekli (Lighting Designer) will work across both productions. 

Plays to See stated that the production was “an overwhelming, yet incredible experience” in its 4.5* review, and Northern Arts Review commented that the cast were “vocally exemplary... you do not want to miss this one”.  

Learning and Participation 

ETO’s award-winning Learning and Participation programme is central to the company’s mission and reaches over 10,000 people each year through productions and projects in theatres, schools, museums and libraries. ETO recently partnered with Laidlaw Opera Trust to expand its programme and to bring opera to more people than ever before. This includes a commission of a new opera for children, Ada and the Code Crusaders, which will be performed in over 25 primary schools to more than 5000 children – including a school performance in Durham.  

Written and composed by the award-winning Anna Pool, Ada and the Code Crusaders takes children on a historical and scientific journey that explores the life and genius of English mathematician and writer Ada Lovelace. Directed by Nel Crouch, the production stars many singers from the main Spring productions including Natasha Agarwal, Phil Wilcox, Rebecca Milford, Judy Louie Brown, Beth Moxon, John Ieuan Jones and Wonsick Oh. 

In addition to work in primary schools, ETO’s Learning and Participation programme also includes ETO Perform, its opera workshop programme for Key Stage Three and GCSE Music students which gives young people the chance to write and stage their own operas, relationships with partner schools and bespoke projects for Alternative Provision settings. More information on ETO’s partnership with Laidlaw Opera Trust can be found on the LOT website. 

Robin Norton-Hale, CEO and Artistic Director of English Touring Opera, said: “We’re thrilled to be bringing these new productions to audiences across the country. Featuring premieres of two hugely popular and contrasting operas and a new commission for children based on the life of Ada Lovelace, this truly is a season to show that opera is an artform with something to offer everyone.”   

Pagliacci comes to Gala Theatre Durham on Wednesday 20 May, with The Gondoliers following on Thursday 21 May. More information and tickets can be found on the ETO website.