I've been lucky to be a fairly regular visitor to Glyndebourne Festival Opera for some 35 years. There have been many highlights and our visit recently to see Cendrillon (as guests of Glyndebourne) was one of these. In retelling the Cinderella story Jules Massenet wanted to highlight the magical aspects of Cinderella's transition from downtrodden youngest daughter to princess. This production achieves this remarkably well and there was indeed a touching magical beauty to the opera with moments both of humour and tragedy.
But Glyndebourne is as much about the experience as the opera. Tickets for Cendrillon were still available from £85 so this is an experience not just for the few. Entering into the spirit of Glyndebourne, bringing a picnic and dressing up (most men wear evening dress) adds so much to the fun of the occasion and are what draw us back on an annual basis.
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| Dressing for Glyndebourne. Chester Barrie made to measure dinner jacket & trousers, Budd silk shirt, hat Laird Hatters |
The weather for our visit was perfect - sunny with a cooling breeze. In all the years we've been going I can count the wet and cold occasions on one hand; and there is plenty of shelter if you are unfortunate enough to have bad weather.
We were treated to a Leiths picnic and Nyetimber sparking wine (for those not driving) and I recommend this delicious option if you'd rather not bring picnic basket, tables and chairs to do it yourself.
It's often assumed that the Festival is completely sold out or that only the most expensive seats are left, whereas there are often some lower-price tickets still available. Check on availability by going to https://www.glyndebourne.com/festival/ and enjoy your day!
My wife and I were guests of Glyndebourne Festival Opera.