Artiste: Patrick Mason

Rain cannot wash away the charm of Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Lismore Castle, a visually clever, if uneven, outdoor staging with moments of real enchantment.

Fine singing all round, sensitive continuo musicianship and dramatic action make for a thoroughly enjoyable Return of Ulysses by Monteverdi.

Olena Tokar's assured coloratura made an immediate success of the waltz with her convincingly adolescent appearance, rhythmic verve and stylish phrasing.