Welsh National Opera's new joint heads, Adele Thomas and Sarah Crabtree, have taken the reins at a time of severe funding cuts. Despite the challenges, they are determined to create 'an electric night out' with a leaner operation. Thomas, from Port Talbot, and Crabtree, who moved from London, share the role of co-general director and CEO, each working three days a week.
The company has faced a 35% cut from Arts Council England and an 11.8% cut from Arts Council Wales, forcing it to drop major touring venues and reduce its chorus from 20 to 10 members, with two forced redundancies. The orchestra remains full-time for now. 'We want to protect the company as a permanent ensemble,' Crabtree said, 'but it's got to become smaller to protect that core.'
Thomas and Crabtree first worked together in 2019 when Crabtree programmed Thomas's production of Handel's 'Berenice' at the Royal Opera House. They applied for the WNO role as a jobshare, dividing artistic, producing, and administrative tasks. 'We share all the tasks of running the company,' Crabtree explained. 'We have different skill sets, and that's brilliant.'
The pair have been heartened by the warm reception from staff, despite the crisis. 'I was expecting them to have their arms crossed,' Thomas said. 'But they've been so welcoming.' Their first programmed season, 2026-27, will be announced next March, with upcoming productions of Puccini's 'Tosca' and Bernstein's 'Candide' this autumn.
'We are absolutely committed to being a large-scale opera company,' Thomas affirmed. 'That will never change.' The challenge is finding the 'sweet spot' that allows flexibility and agility to create compelling work and build back when times are easier.
