THAT feisty impresario Ellen Kent, of Opera International, is even more enthusiastic than usual about her next big show.

When Verdi's Aida comes to The Anvil next week, it will be a completely new production - very big and very spectacular.

She told me: "I have a new Russian designer, Felix Bessanov. He's quite brilliant, but very temperamental.

"I told him for the UK tour that, although the sets had to be suitable for theatres with stages of every size, it must always look big. But instead of building fake pillars which can be broken down into three pieces to go into the touring truck, he actually built them as full length, and so I've ended up with three trucks instead of two.

"He said to me, 'You wanted a big show and now you've got one'. It's a show for giants. Even the flower vases are about the size of a bath!

"I had to tell him off, so now he refuses to come to England and has gone off in a sulk! But what he's done is probably the best-constructed and artistically-produced set that I've ever had."

She then added, as if as an after thought: "The bejewelled elephant takes up half a truck!"

Bejewelled elephant?

"I've called him Rajah, which is Hindi for 'king'. He is my indulgence. He's like a huge toy, festooned with beautiful pearls and diamonds and decorations. He lumbers across the stage with two men to operate him and another man standing on his back. He's quite a big creature. And he is king size."

Then there's the dancing fountains, another of Ellen's foibles.

She went on: "We looked on the internet to find them. We had two replies, one from America and the other from Calcutta. The Calcutta one makes the dancing fountains for the Bollywood movies. We had to have the smaller 'village' size and even that has water jets which can go up to 20 metres. We've had to control it so it only goes up three metres. It changes shape and colours in time with the music, and I have it on during the ballet sequence."

Anything else from Ellen's fevered imagination?

"The dancers in the temple scene. I have researched it - the temple dancers of Egypt originally came from India.

"And with my Indian connection (Ellen was born there), I thought I would design the costumes. They will be covered from head to foot in red wedding sari material embroidered in gold, and wearing silk masks.

"In fact, all the costumes in the entire opera are new and beautifully made in Moldova."

Time now to talk about the music.

Ellen explained: "I have Natalia Margarit as Aida. She's a magnificent Italian soprano who has spent this summer singing with Carreras and directed by Franco Zeffirelli.

"She sang Tosca and Turandot for me at the Albert Hall.

"The very handsome Akhmed Agadi, from Moscow's Stanislavski theatre, will be singing Radames and the big tall Petru Racovita will be the Ethiopian King, while Nadejda Stoianova will be playing Amneris.

"And, of course, there will be the full orchestra, chorus and ballet. Altogether, I will be touring just over 200 people."

Ellen Kent and Opera International presents the Chisinau National Opera Company in Aida (pictured) at The Anvil on Saturday, November 6 and Sunday, November 7.

Extras are being sought to take to the stage as part of Aida. If you are interested, call 01634 820226.