The bonkers Wiltshire festival with a dog and leather-clad devil

If Opera is an outrageous annual event, which has sold-out in most years since beginning around three decades ago – with this 2025 season being no exception.

For two weeks, it is taking place at a new location for the first time in a massive tent near a pond, Grade-II listed refurbished building, 14th Century church and a pop-up restaurant in an old cowshed, which is the home of long-standing patrons David and Fiona Robinson.

On Tuesday, August 12, this paper found itself reviewing an operatic performance at Church Farm, Wingfield featuring actors who have appeared in high quality films and TV including Warlock, Spitting Image and Chasing Liberty actor Simon Butteriss, who directs the opera, and Robin Bailey, who was in Danny Boyle's Trust. 

The comical production was of Jacques Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld, which was not at all the painfully dull Greek tragedy or stuffy opera you might expect.  

It starts with us meeting the Roman god Jupiter, known as Zeus in Greek mythology, who is always trying to seduce a lady by disguising himself.

He talks about his latest venture of driving a married couple further apart – the musician/lothario Orpheus and Eurydice.

Jupiter’s scheming lands him in hot water with his wife, Juno/Hera, and sadly Orpheus succeeds in poisoning his wife, Eurydice – dragging her to hell.

The plot becomes more complex with the addition of Pluto – the god of the Underworld – who dresses in a tight black leather devil costume, complete with pointy tail, which this reporter has been told has made the crowd swoon.

He wants Eurydice in hell, and schemes to get one over on his brother Jupiter.

It does not go so easy for Pluto, as the appearance of both a man dressed in a giant dog outfit and another playing the part of a fly – puts something in the ointment.

In Hell, Eurydice is bored of Pluto and must contend with the “smelly” dog character humping her leg before she soon meets Jupiter.

Not to give away the ending, but let’s just say it features Can-Can music and the dog dancing. 

There is still a production of Orpheus in the Underworld on Friday, August 15 which features a live orchestra, the Bristol Ensemble, with more information available here ifopera.com.

The If Opera festival – which had its inception in 1994 and was known as Iford Arts – lasts until Sunday, August 17 with a Baroque double bill and Rigoletto still to come.

Next year, the event will stage a new opera around the life of Caroline Herschel, an 19th Century astronomer who lived in Bath.

The opera festival is a charity and relies on donations with people asked to donate to keep the event going. 

If Opera, artistic director, Oliver Gooch, said: "We are dedicated to supporting every singer that works with If Opera, and we strive to offer not only an enticing variety of roles to our ensemble, but also an environment where they can be themselves, say what they really think, and not fear the repercussions of being ill on first night or worry that there is no one to talk to when demands of the job get too much.

"Your support and dedication to supporting our repertory ensemble will not only help give them financial reassurance but also a sense of place and positive wellbeing to continue to grow and thrive as performing artists in years to come.”