A THRILLING opera will return to The Anvil state in March with a stunning new traditional production.

Aida, the grandest of all Ellen Kent's operas, returns to The Anvil on Thursday, March 2.

In Aida, the splendour of Egypt is set against the grandeur of the Coliseum of Rome, with the direction influenced by the ancient Greek dramas of Euripides, and symbolising the powerful religious hold of the priests of Egypt.

This tragic story of war, jealousy and revenge, at whose heart is the doomed love of the beautiful Ethiopian slave girl Aida, and the Egyptian hero Radames, is brought to life in a production set against one of the greatest pieces of music Verdi ever wrote.

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Well-known arias include Celeste Aida, Ritorna Vincitor, and Triumphal March featuring a temple dance, cascades of glittering gold, and amazing fire performers.

Artistic director and producer Ellen Kent said: “I have produced and directed many Aida’s over the years and it still remains the biggest challenge a producer can face. I try to give Aida the grandeur which Verdi achieved in the first production in Egypt when he was commissioned to write an opera for the opening of the Suez Canal and premiered in Cairo in 1871.