Youth Casting 2024: La Boheme (Puccini)

In 2024, ENO were thrilled to cast 20 children from local school, St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, to perform as the Youth Chorus in our production of La Boheme.  

These young people had the opportunity to tread the boards with world-class professionals and learn to sing, act, and perform on the renowned London Coliseum stage. The students played Parisian children at a Christmas Eve market, brimming with excitement at the prospect of the treats in store. 

The project culminated in an abridged version of La Boheme, performed by the ENO chorus, musicians and soloists alongside our Youth Chorus at the school, so that students, teachers, and the wider school community could celebrate our wonderful Youth Chorus and their hard work. 

We are indebted to St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School and the many individuals who helped make this feat possible, from the support from senior leadership and head teachers, to the school community who embraced the project wholeheartedly, and, of course, parents and caregivers, who went above and beyond to ensure the students were ready to rise to the occasion. 

Whether the students go on to scale even higher musical heights, or they pursue other goals off the stage, we hope the experience equips them with confidence, resilience, and of course, a love of music. 

As Helen Wiles, Lead Music Teacher at the school, told us:

‘“The children have matured a lot in a short space of time. Their horizons are broadened; they are encouraged to dream bigger and consider areas of the arts that may have been relatively unknown to them before. The effect on their self-esteem, confidence, and self-belief has been transformational. After performing with the ENO, they know that ‘they can’.’