Interview with Robin Norton-Hale - Northern Arts Review
Artistic Director for the English Touring Opera
An Interview with Robin Norton-Hale
When English Touring Opera announced that it was relocating its headquarters to Sheffield, it marked a significant new chapter for the company. As the Spring 2026 tour prepares to open at the Lyceum next month, there is a palpable sense of transition and ambition in the air. Northern Arts Review’s Sean Sable caught up with English Touring Opera’s CEO and Artistic Director, Robin Norton-Hale, to discuss the move north, the opportunities Sheffield presents, and the bold new tour featuring The Gondoliers and Pagliacci.
1. English Touring Opera has moved its headquarters to Sheffield. What prompted the move, and why Sheffield?
We’re a touring company, so we’re always itinerant, but since 1979 the office had been in London. That’s often been the default for national organisations, hasn’t it? But when Arts Council England created a programme encouraging national companies to move out of London, we joined the transfer programme, narrowing our options to a few cities before selecting Sheffield as our new home. There are so many advantages. It’s geographically central, it’s a buzzy, diverse city with a vibrant music and arts scene, and we were made to feel genuinely welcome by the universities, Sheffield Theatres, and the music hub. It felt like somewhere we could both fill a gap in provision and meaningfully collaborate.
2. How significant is it to open your Spring 2026 tour in Sheffield for the first time?
It feels like a big moment in the move. We’re still rehearsing in London for now, simply because we haven’t yet found a rehearsal base in Sheffield large enough to accommodate two big operas at once, which is what we do every spring. For now, we’ll decamp to Sheffield in March and open at the Lyceum, a theatre we’ve had a close relationship with for years. It’s going to feel like a real milestone in the transition.
3. Does relocating mean a shift in your touring model?
Not at all. Moving our base to Sheffield doesn’t diminish the touring in any way. In fact, being so central to much of the country may make it easier in some ways. While Sheffield is our new base, we remain a national touring company—that’s our raison d’être.
To see my full interview, please visit Northern Arts Review
See you in the shadows my loves,
Sean x
