Performer: Sir David Pountney

Why is Tchaikovsky’s very fine opera still a rarity outside Russia? David Pountney directs a new production at the Surrey festival. 

Sir David Pountney's 1997 staging for Welsh National Opera is given a welcome new lease of life at Grange Park Opera, splendidly cast... with one major exception. 

Strong vocal and orchestral performances, supported by impressive visuals, struggle to bring coherency to Anthony Bolton's Island of Dreams at Grange Park Opera.

In March, 15 months after they faced a storm of protest after cuts to UK opera, Arts Council England published Let’s Create: Opera and Music Theatre Analysis. It’s an eye-poppingly poor piece of work.

Opera productions rouse strong passions among critics and audiences. This month we put the directors under the spotlight, discovering the process they undergo to create new stagings.