Nevill Holt Opera unveils outdoor summer season with socially distanced seating

Nevill Holt Opera will mount an outdoor season of shows in August.

Featuring socially distanced audiences (with capacity at 650), the company will present two shows – Verdi's La traviata and Mozart's Don Giovanni, with free tickets available for under 18s.

You can see a mocked up design for the venue above.

The Leicestershire company's managing director Annie Lydford said: "We are all invigorated to be presenting our largest and most inclusive festival yet despite the challenges of the last year. We felt strongly, at this time when people crave brilliant live experiences perhaps more than ever, that reducing our capacity and raising our prices simply wasn't an option. With fantastic artists and technicians, two creative, beautiful productions – not to mention the wonderful Nevill Holt grounds and gardens – we want to make sure our audiences have an unforgettable time with us this summer.

"Having received crucial support to aid our survival from government, from independent trusts and foundations, and from individuals, we recognise the responsibility we have to ensure that the communities we serve across the East Midlands can continue to enjoy fantastic performances with us this summer. Particularly, we are proud to offer hundreds of free tickets across the season completely free of charge to under-18s – a commitment which reflects the importance of the year-round education programme which has been at NHO's core since the company began."

The shows will run from 4 to 25 August 2021, with the nearest train station being Market Harborough. Public booking begins 1 April.

If necessary, performers and orchestra will also be socially distanced.