For any devotee, like me, of romantic opera, Welsh National Opera’s recent visit to the Birmingham Hippodrome served up some real treats. Not only with Puccini’s ever popular Madam Butterfly but also Guiseppe Verdi’s equally loved La Traviata. I was lucky enough to see both, and whilst I was completely absorbed by the 2 productions, the fact that La Traviata (which I know less well than Butterfly), came with audio description meant that I was able to get so much more out of it. Based on Alexandre Dumas’ 19th century novel, The Lady of the Camelias, La Traviata is the story of the consumptive courtesan, Violetta Valery and her love for the young Alfredo – in this production brilliantly sung by the best selling tenor, Alfie Boe, in his WNO debut.

Accompanied by WNO’s assistant stage manager, Katie and our 2 describers, Julia Grundy and Margaret Spittles, visually impaired patrons and their companions were taken on to the stage for a very detailed, and leisurely pre-show touch tour, where we shown the set and literally got a feel for some of the lavish props including champagne bottles and glasses, a period card table inlaid with black and gold, as well as some of and imitation flowers and the real roses, used throughout the production. Violetta’s bed dominated the stage, in the early part of the opera draped in luxurious white sheets and as the opera moved to its tragic climax, these were replaced by heavy black damask. Being on this type of touch tour certainly makes me feel a VIP, in all senses, as you get to learn so much more about the tricks of the production, such as the imitation cigarettes which when ‘smoked’ by the chorus produced talcum powder to give a very realistic smoke effect.

Philippa, from the Hippodrome’s front of house team gave us our headsets and showed us to our seats, in time for us to listen to the very informative introductory notes presented by the audio describers, 15 minutes before curtain up. Again, at the end of each of the 2 intervals it was useful to tune in to our headsets to have the scene set for the next act, and at the end of the opera, as the audience registered its enthusiastic appreciation with rapturous applause, it was great to be told who was coming on stage to take their well deserved bow. Once again, both Margaret and Julia ably demonstrated their audio descriptive expertise through a combination of skilful timing, which allowed us to fully enjoy the wonderful singing, and empathetic vocabulary, which perfectly complemented this beautiful opera.