Growing up, my experience of culture and theatre was that of the seasonal Nutcracker or Swan Lake ballet. And then, West End theatre whenever an exeat weekend allowed. It wasn’t until the last years of school when I visited the original Grange Park (at The Grange) in Hampshire which popped my opera cherry. The show was Puccini’s Madama Butterfly where Cio-Cio-San’s cries in Vogliatemi bene ("Love me, please.") have since been romantically secured in my perfect pitch left-brain.

There is a certain allure to classical music, in that music written to original scripts have preserved the way it was meant to be played. Sure, you could contest to that by saying every musician has their own unique interpretation; but least to the foreign ear, and I mean foreign (operas are rarely sung in English), classical music preserves much of what the intention of the original composer.

Speaking of preservation, the same allure has been retained in Grange Park Opera’s (relatively new) location in West Horsley Place. Comparing to its former Hampshire location with grand Doric columns, you could be easily mesmerised by the grandeur of the Greek Revival architecture. Though its current Surrey location is unbeatably closer for Londoners (only 23 miles) and therefore more convenient. Grange Park Opera is now located on a 350-acre estate; the opera house sits in the back garden of a Grade I listed medieval manor house. The house was inherited in 2015 by author and broadcaster Bamber Gascoigne from his aunt Mary, Duchess of Roxburghe. The estate was also once occupied by MP and was the location for filming Netflix film Enola Holmes. Founder Wasfi Kani and her team impressively built the five-storey opera house in a mere 11 months. Modelled on La Scala (Milan), the house has a capacity of 700 guests. Also known as “The Theatre in the Woods”, the surrounding gardens feels more expansive - most likely because it’s not split over levels. Guests can pre-book the Indian Pavilions from Jodhpur at the Crinkle Crankle Garden or opt for “a bucolic approach, fling down your rug and picnic”. There are now several lawns to frolic about.

My visit marked my first Russian opera: “Ivan The Terrible” by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. As the composer’s first opera, it’s also known as The Maid of Pskov. Sung in four acts, the audience is transported to the city of Pskov. This is a rare production, where its first performance in the country dates back to the Theatre Royal at Drury Lane in July 1913. Soprano Evelina Dobračeva played dual roles, first as Olga’s mother in The Prologue and then Olga in The Opera. The set, designed by Francis O'Connor, was simple yet effective. The wooden panels replicated the wooden walls of the medieval city, could be strategically separated (see 1:52). Split across two levels, the detachable staircase also highlighted the performance of Carl Tanner (who played Tuchar, leader of a partisan group of rebels against Tsar Ivan).

The Grange Park opera season started June 10, with social distancing measures in place. The 2021 season is nearly sold out, with few July tickets left for “Ivan The Terrible” on three July dates. Do, however, keep an eye out for the interim season with Tchaikovsky violin concerto and Beethoven Spring sonata to come.

And if you’re 18-35, you’re in luck. Grange Park Opera has a “Meteors” scheme supported by Red Butterfly Foundation which make £35 tickets available for selected performances (a hefty discount from its original £85 - £220 range). A fine price for an evening at one of the country’s best opera houses.

Behold, the 2021 Summer Season

has

begun

Green Lazio Tuxedo Jacket/ SUITSUPPLY (same in red)