The Armonico Consort returns with two very different takes on two classic operas.

First is the world premiere of a new version of Purcell's King Arthur, set against the gritty backdrop of the First World War.

Based on the battle for supremacy between the Britons and the Saxons, the action is transported to the trenches of the Western Front.

The theme of battle and war is told through the composer's enchanting score on period instruments and has an underlying tone of the enduring power of love to heal and unite nations.

Progammer Gill Kay says: "People may know the music but hopefully they will be seeing the performance in a new light with this different production."

Mozart's fairytale opera The Magic flute is also back after being given a rollicking overhaul.

The opera, Mozart's first for popular theatre, is full of tales of daring heroes, damsels in distress, magical spells and Herculean tasks.

With its reputation for producing accessible, fun and exciting music, The Armonico Consort has created a version of Mozart's theatrical vision which, while still heavily based in opera, is a fusion of circus, puppetry and thrilling hire wire action.

Gill says: "What The Armonico Consort has done is thoroughly research the style and sounds of these two operas so what you hear would have been what audiences would have heard more than 300 years ago."

  • Both Start: 7.30pm, Tickets: £5-£26
  • King Arthur is Sponsored by MacConvilles Surveying (Built Environment Consultants) and The Magic Flute is sponsored by the SME Network.