The whole point of opera is that it is much, much larger than life: it is dramatic, colourful, musical and impossible.

The plots are usually nonsense and the characters are always extreme: costumes must be glorious and the sets should take your breath away.

Enter Ellen Kent and Die Fledermaus which fulfilled every criteria for a perfect operatic experience. Her production bubbled, bounced and sparkled like the champagne of the best tunes.

The cast sang their hearts out, in English, and danced to a never ending stream of Strauss waltzes, sweetness tinged with the wistful understanding that love is confusing, revenge is best served cold.

Alyona Kistenyova as Rosalinde was beautifully serenaded by Ruslan Pacatovici with a richly powerful tenor.

Soprano Maria Tonina made the most of a comical chambermaid with ambition, Ruslan Zinevych was a stirring Eistenstein and Iurie Gisca a cheerfully duped prison governor.

Deliciously updated lyrics struck deliberate sparks in a fin de siècle style and setting, and references to Brighton from guest performer Allison Ferns of BBC Radio Sussex were hilarious.

A light touch and Viennese lilt of conductor Nicolae Dohotaru inspired the Moldavian National Theatre Orchestras to perfection.

Four stars