An evening at Castleward Opera is magical for so many reasons. The venue is located in the beautiful grounds of the National Trust's property at Castle Ward, and is a barn, converted into an intimate and very comfortable little Opera House that seats 200 people and accommodates an orchestra of around 35 players. Undeterred by the lack space, the Company have staged many of the great Opera Classics here to great critical acclaim, also winning many awards for innovative and outstanding stage and set design. In Summer 2008, there will be 9 performances of Mozart's much loved and comedic Cosi fan tutte alongside 7 opera gala performances, featuring the music of Verdi and Purcell as well as modern favourites such as Rodgers and Hammerstein and Leonard Bernstein. Adjacent to the theatre is a large marquee, where all ticket-holders are allocated a table to either enjoy the catering of the Yellow Door, which can be booked in advance, or your own picnic that can be as elaborate or as simple as you like. An extended interval of 1.5 hours provides plenty of time to enjoy your meal, your company and drink lots of wine! Although not compulsory, audiences are invited to dress formally for the event, and because we all have an innate love of dressing up (men included!) most audiences take advantage of this rare treat. Many of our visitors come in large parties of friends, family or colleagues, and keep coming back each year.
The board and staff of Castleward Opera offer another very warm welcome to this year's audiences, old and new, and look forward to greeting you during the 2008 season, 30th May to 21st June 2008. Our on-line box office opens on 17th March 2008 at www.castlewardopera.com and priority booking for subscribers is open now through telephone and post: +44 (0) 28 9263 9545, Castleward Opera, Unit A, 280 Comber Road, Lisburn, BT27 6TA
