Nicky Spence trained with the Scottish Youth Theatre & National Youth Music Theatre, Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the National Opera Studio.

Nicky became a Harewood Artist in 2010/11 and has since played Brian for the world premiere of Nico Muhly’s Two Boys (2011), Novice Billy Budd (2012), Francesco Benvenuto Cellini (2014), David The Mastersingers of Nuremberg (2015) (pictured above).

In June Nicky is back at ENO performing as Števa in the revival of David Alden’s Jenůfa. In November Nicky takes on the role of Alwa in Lulu – an already established co-production with the Metropolitan Opera, New York, Dutch National Opera and Teatro dell’Opera di Roma.

On the 27 June Nicky will be performing as part of our summer Harewood Artist Recital alongside Catherine Young.

Welcome back to ENO! Števa is a significant role in Janáček’s opera. How are your preparations going?

I’ve done this role in the original Czech a few years ago in Brussels but I can’t wait to be part of such an iconic production at my home company at ENO. However, I am having some very Eurovision moments at the moment with concerns of which translation may appear in my mouth but I’m hoping this will settle down before we start rehearsals. I’ve also heard this show is very physical so I’ve been working with a new Personal Trainer so I hopefully won’t need a significant team to prise me into my leathers come opening night.

The fantastic cast includes Laura Wilde, Michaela Martens, Peter Hoare, Graeme Danby and fellow Harewood Artist Soraya Mafi. How does your character fit in to the plot?

Amongst a cast of very strong female characters, Števa holds his own in the narrative as the golden grandson and general hunk of the parish. He’s quite the catalyst character as he refuses to father the child he’s conceived with Jenůfa who is later drowned by Kostelnička. I’ve played this role before and in Czech but I can’t wait to be part of such an iconic production with my home company at ENO… arriving on a motorbike in full leathers and working with one of my favourite directors, David Alden, who could ask for more?!