Opera House shows could return in May - minister

The company that runs the Jersey Opera House has moved back into the newly refurbished Grade II-listed building - with the hope shows will restart soon.

Minister for Sustainable Economic Development Kirsten Morel said the company was back in the St Helier site, which had been undergoing a multi-million pound renovation since March 2020.

Morel said the company was due to sign a licence to use the venue in the short term, but had already moved back into the building - with a longer-term lease expected to be agreed "as soon as possible" and shows potentially starting in May.

A Jersey Opera House Limited spokesperson said the process of moving back into the venue was "progressing well".

Refurbishment work at the Grade II-listed building has included a new roof and interior, with the government investing £12.7m to the project.

Work was due to be completed in the summer of 2022 but delays were caused due to the complexity of the renovation work.

Earlier in March, Ballet d'Jèrri (BDJ) - the island's professional ballet company - moved from their base at Fort Regent into a studio space in the Opera House.

Morel said he was "absolutely delighted" to see people using the venue again and the prospect of shows returning was exciting for Jersey.

"The Opera House will be open shortly to the public in a few weeks, so that's a really big step forward," he added.

Jersey Opera House Limited said it was working closely with partners to ensure everything it needed was in place at the building.

A spokesperson added: "We're incredibly excited to welcome audiences back and start putting on shows very soon."

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