OPERA North is live-streaming some of its previous productions after being forced to cancel upcoming stage performances.

In response to the COVID-19 crisis the company – which performs regularly at the Grand Theatre in Leeds – decided to cancel or postpone public activity until at least the end of April.

It also its co-production of the Stephen Sondheim musical A Little Night Music with Leeds Playhouse, which was due to begin rehearsing last month for performances starting on May 9.

Opera North said it hoped to mount the production in a future season.

Richard Mantle, General Director of Opera North, said: “This is undoubtedly a time of great challenge for Opera North and our peers but we are determined to respond with creativity and resilience.

“We will honour the contracts of all guest artists to the end of our current main stage opera season and those of guest orchestral players until the end of April.

“We are working with our many education and community partners to ascertain what work can still be delivered in those settings, and will focus our creativity and core resources on finding new ways of using music and opera to enhance people’s lives.

“We remain hopeful that our 20-21 season will go ahead as planned in September. In the meantime, we are working on finding other ways to share our art form with our audiences. Some online resources available now:

Opera North’s recent livestream of The Turn of the Screw is available to watch at operavision.eu, and the full Opera North Ring Cycle can be accessed by visiting www.operanorth.co.uk/the-ring-cycle.