The Welsh National Opera, Mayflower Theatre, Southampton

SET in a traditional Japanese house, this tragic opera tells the ill-fated romance between a geisha, Cio-Cio-San, and an American naval officer, Lt Pinkerton.

Pinkerton returns home, leaving Cio-Cio-San with a child. When Pinkerton and his American wife return to Nagasaki. Cio-Cio-San allows them to take her son to America - and for

honour's sake, kills herself.

Sung in Italian, there were sufficient surtitles to make it easy to follow. Seen by a largely appreciative audience, Helen Field as Cio-Cio-San was superb. Indeed, all the cast and orchestra excelled.

Another triumph for the Welsh National!