On Monday, thanks to my flatmate Bex I had the chance to see my very first opera at Grange Park, the company that Bex works for. The particular opera we saw was Rusalka which is not dissimilar to The Little Mermaid story, however it certainly doesn't have a Disney ending! The building itself is spectacular, reminiscent of a Greek temple which looked absolutely surreal in the dark and in fact it did feel like I could have been somewhere much more exotic. The opera had three acts that lasted an hour each but we also had two intervals to eat our little picnic under the marquees (at tables of course), though neither of us could get over forgetting the tomato sauce or something similar! Considering I spend most of my days at a jobcentre course, it is almost a culture shock to be surrounded by avid opera fans though I can definitely see the attraction. The conductor for Rusalka was Joanna Lumley's husband Stephen Barlow and also there was milliner Rachel Drewer, follow the link for examples of her work. The theatre was of course in keeping with the class of the exterior with sparkling chandeliers and star light ceilings but more unusual are the train set villages and fish tanks in the floorboards! I also have to mention the Dr Who. Dalek and Tardis that can be found on the grounds! It was definitely a memorable experience and though I can't pinpoint why, I did thoroughly enjoy it.
Images by KLV
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