Opera surprises diners in new show

29 July 2013, 17:18 | Updated: 18 September 2014, 15:44

Opera is on the menu in a new musical production that's setting stomachs rumbling at Tête à Tête festival.

Musical foodies will have something to look forward to this summer with a new production combining singing and a three-course meal. Indigestion, a new musical work, features an anonymous cast of six diners, who spring into action throughout an evening meal.

The theatre space becomes a 'restaurant', where guests get a window into the lives of their fellow diners. Until the performers start to sing, the audience have no idea which of the other dinner guests might be a member of the opera company.

Composer Michael Betteridge explained: "We first stumbled upon this idea when having a pre-theatre meal - why not combine dinner with opera? I love surprises in music and theatre and this show has lots of them!"

The performances are taking place as part of the Tête à Tête opera festival, from 1-18 August, which specialises in putting on some of the nation's most exciting new operas. This year the festival is showcasing more than 30 productions at Riverside Studios, London, and out on the streets, celebrating the creative offerings from musicians and writers from around the UK.