Welsh National Opera Autumn 2025

We are incredibly fortunate in the south to have the Mayflower Theatre a superb venue in Southampton, where the great London shows, world renowned ballet and opera companies perform which of course includes Welsh National Opera.   Enjoy staying for two nights  in one of our favourite hotels - the luxury 4 star Handpicked Rhinefield House Hotel in the heart of the New Forest near Brockenhurst so easily accessible by train.

Thursday 2 October - evening:
Leonard Bernstein’s Candide is a supercharged wild ride in which 18th-century France crashes into 20th-century post-war America- an energetic romp that pulls together the best of Broadway, the champagne froth of operetta and the timeless satire of Voltaire’s original novella. WNO’s critically acclaimed production is staged by an award-winning team, who brings this zany, imaginative world to life and up to date with music, animation, dance and political bite.

Friday 3 October Puccini – Tosca    
Where passion burns, power destroys! Tosca is a fast-paced operatic thriller and Puccini’s unforgettable score heightens every moment of drama, from the spine-tingling aria Te deum to the raw beauty of Vissi d’arte. This is opera at its most gripping and as the final notes fade, you’ll be left on the edge of your seat wondering just how far you would go for love?

Arrive at the Rhinefield House Hotel on Thursday afternoon and check into your rooms which should be ready from 3 pm if not earlier.  There will then be an early buffet dinner before leaving for the Mayflower Theatre at 6.30 tbc for the evening performance returning afterwards to coffee and a pastry.   Tickets for both nights are the top rates in the stalls – with excellent viewing.

Friday during the day:  A leisurely start before setting off for a visit to Breamore House.  This magnificent Elizabethan Manor House completed in 1583 set it is own parkland overlooks the Avon Valley on the edge of the New Forest, just north of Fordingbridge.  The house has a wide variety of paintings, tapestries, porcelain, 17th-century needlework and fine examples of period furniture.  Continue to Salisbury to visit the Cathedral.  A short walk across the historic Cathedral Close with its own fascinating history to the entrance.   Lunch refreshments can be purchased in the Refectory Restaurant.  Leaving Salisbury mid-afternoon to return to the hotel around 4 pm and again early buffet dining before going to the Mayflower for the evening performance of Tosca.

Saturday 4^th October – Enjoy a relaxing morning before checking out of your rooms. Extra nights at the hotel to stay longer in the New Forest may be available please enquire when booking.