Northern opera proposal evaluated - and a personal view

Plans by the Royal Opera House to establish a northern base at Manchester's Palace Theatre are to be examined by the Arts Council.

The proposal from the London-based company was discussed with Culture Secretary Andy Burnham on Thursday.

It was decided that an independent evaluation of the scheme, to open a new opera, ballet and lyric theatre venue at the Palace, would start immediately.

Mr Burnham said the review was the "positive next step".

The Arts Council said the evaluation would look at plans to expand opera and dance provision, develop new audiences and provide more training and skills development to the sector.

It will also consider the possible impact on other cultural organisations, including those already producing and touring this type of work in the north of England and across the country.

Secretary of State for Culture Mr Burnham said: "It has long been a personal priority for me to see national cultural organisations develop a presence outside London.

"So I'm really pleased to see the Royal Opera House's plan moving forward.

"But we must be sure that what is planned is right for the wider cultural scene in the North West, too.

"So an independent review, led by the Arts Council, will be a positive next step."

The Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, London, is home to both the Royal Opera and the Royal Ballet.

Tony Hall, chief executive of the Royal Opera House, said: "We're delighted that our proposal met with such a positive response.

"We want to work with the people in Manchester to create something that really benefits the region, something that really takes the brilliant things we do here to new and wider audiences away from the South East."

Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council, said: "Establishing a new production and performance base here at Royal Opera House Manchester with training in every aspect of production, from set building to singing, would bring significant economic benefit to the city by attracting more visitors and creating several hundred new jobs for local people."

BBC

I must confess to being somewhat horrified at this idea. For starters, the Palace Theatre is already Manchester's busiest theatre, with a seemingly endless stream of touring shows and productions of various kinds, especially musicals.

Secondly, despite a rather large and pretty auditorium, the customer experience at the Palace is hardly state of the art. Although it has a large stage, and it seems able to handle the technical demands of most modern stage productions, the seats are cramped and the bars and facilities are drab, and old-fashioned - very much like many of the theatres in London's West End.

Having said that, the Palace is a grand old lady and she's weathered good times and bad and is still going strong - so why fix it if it ain't broke?

The Lowry is much better equipped. I don't believe it operates at full capacity, it has two excellent theatres and a studio space, and has spacious and modern public spaces and facilities. But the Lowry doesn't pose a problem or offer a solution either.

The Bridgewater Hall is, in my opinion, rather underused. But, designed as an international classical concert theatre, it simply doesn't have the kind of stage that suits either ballet or opera.

So, how about a completely new iconic opera house for Manchester? Please God not somewhere like Eastlands. Spinningfields perhaps. Somewhere central that would benefit bars and restaurants and bring evening street life to the city.

Or how about dragging the Dancehouse Theatre into the twenty-first century? It has a decent-sized stage, a rather pretty, if slightly plain, auditorium [pictured] and appalling public areas, despite occupying a rather grand art deco building. And it seems rarely to be showing anything. It actually shows more comedy than dance.


I've lived in Manchester for more than twenty-five years and have only ever visited the Dancehouse once! What lies unused in that building? It even houses a ballet school - the Northern Ballet School - how about merging that with the Royal Opera House ballet school?

Their website boasts that 'the Dancehouse Theatre complex extends to some 35,000 square feet and comprises the theatre, three medium and two large dance studios, all fully equipped to meet the highest standards, changing rooms, shower facilities, a Green Room, a licensed Cafe Bar, Theatre Bar and Coffee Shop.'

What an opportunity...?

My other concerns focus on the need for a northern base for the Royal Opera House - other than to satisfy some government ideal of 'decentralisation'.

Manchester already benefits from regular visits from the English National Ballet, the Birmingham Royal Ballet and Opera North, which is based in Leeds.

The Palace and its sister theatre , the Opera House (sic) regularly feature the spectacular but rather traditional Ellen Kent productions of classic operas - Tosca, Carmen and La Boheme this November, for example.

Leeds also boasts the Northern Ballet Theatre and the Phoenix Dance Theatre - which is more contemporary in style - both of which plan to share a new multi-million pound northern dance centre and theatre in Leeds called Momentum. Neither the Northern Ballet Theatre nor the Phoenix Dance Theatre visit Manchester often to my knowledge

The wonderful New English Contemporary Ballet, who are Nottingham based, played to a sadly two-thirds empty Dancehouse this summer.

Although I would love to see more ballet and, especially, contemporary dance in Manchester because I love it, and I occasionally venture to the opera, I would argue that Manchester is pretty well served by large and medium-scale touring dance companies. And I rarely sit in a sold-out theatre. Far from it. Even so, I am often dismayed when so many national and international dance companies miss Manchester from their touring schedules - many not considering it worth venturing out of the capital.

All of which begs the question - never mind the venue and the cost, does Manchester need, does Manchester have the audience or the appetite for a significant Royal Opera House and ballet presence?

And do we have to mess about with the Palace to achieve it?