In 1945 the Sadler's Wells Opera returned to Sadler's Wells and concentrated
on producing opera in English. Their
first great success was the world
premiere of Peter Grimes which
heralded the arrival of Benjamin Britten.
Britten became the first English opera composer
of international standing.
In the 1950s, Sadler's Wells Opera's productions of the great French operettas became
hugely popular notably Offenbach's La Belle Helène and Orpheus
in the Underworld – with Orpheus descending into Hades
strap-hanging on the London underground
in the rush hour.
English National Opera
In 1968, Sadler's
Wells Opera moved from its cramped base in Islington to the
London Coliseum in the heart of London's West End. In 1974
the company became English National Opera.
In the 80s, David Pountney and conductor Mark Elder developed a more radical and idiosyncratic production
style. Their operas had a cartoon-style energy and were very visual. This shocked some of the more conservative members of the opera
going public, but appealed to a new and younger audience.
Lesser-known operas were revived, including the controversial Mazeppa. Gilbert and Sullivan fans were also surprised by Jonathan Miller's
The Mikado, which was performed as a 1930s musical comedy with Yum-Yum and her friends dressed in St Trinians–type costumes.
Introduction
