Adele Thomas announced as co-CEO at WNO

The brilliant director will, along with Sarah Crabtree, bring a dynamic energy to WNO.

I have been a big fan of Adele Thomas for over a decade. She is a force who has carved out a distinctive career for herself in the world of performing arts. My admiration for her work was exemplified by the fact that she was “in conversation” with Wales Arts Review no less than three times in our twelve years (I’m sure that’s more than any other artist - certainly she’s in the top tier). But she was also the guest on Chippy Lane’s podcast, which WAR partnered in 2018 - so that’s four big interviews.

And here there are:

Back when Adele was a director of plays, Linda Christmas spoke to her about her production of The Oresteia at The Globe in 2015.

Here’s the Chippy Lane podcast from 2018.

Martha O’Brien held a fascinating conversation with Adele just before Covid discussing a show that in the end never happened.

And from 2023, Linda Christmas again talks to Adele about her conversion to Opera directing, which leads us neatly to where Adele is about to end up, as co-CEO of Welsh National Opera.

Gary Raymond is a novelist, author, playwright, critic, and broadcaster. In 2012, he co-founded Wales Arts Review, was its editor for ten years. His latest book, Abandon All Hope: A Personal Journey Through the History of Welsh Literature is out now with Calon Books.