England

Opera UK is a vibrant new company. Our intentions are, in many ways, similiar to those of the Prospect Theatre Company in the 1970s. Toby Robertson OBE, Prospect's Artistic Director and international Opera Director, is one of our patrons. Like Prospect we mount first-rate productions, making them accessible to all audiences and taking them to places often starved of opera.

Just as Prospect gave a chance to Sir Ian McKellen, Dame Eileen Atkins, Sir Derek Jacobi and many others, with their first big break in a leading role, we shall do the same with our singers. Those leading roles set those actors off on their distinguished careers and now they are supporting Opera UK as we create a new "Prospect" for the opera world. Again, like Prospect, we constantly search for new talent and give our singers their first opportunity to take on leading roles.

Finally we will put the "theatre" back into opera by concentrating on appropriate casting and acting, as well as the music. Already several of our singers have been taken up by the major opera houses.

So all of us who work at Opera UK believe it will have a great future and are grateful for the encouragement we have received from so may members of the profession, as we embark on this exciting enterprise.

To learn more about the show please click here: http://www.operauk.co.uk/gallery/index.html