POP Up Opera return to Herefordshire this summer with Mozart’s much-loved Così fan tutte.

Mozart's comedy tells of two sisters, Fiordiligi and Dorabella, and their fiancés Ferrando and Guglielmo, who, after a wager with the cynical Don Alfonso, test the girls’ fidelity by posing as strangers and trying to seduce them. Aided by the maid Despina, Don Alfonso's plot has the girls hoodwinked and much hilarity ensues. Will love win over all in the end?

Taking inspiration from the British love of period costume dramas, Pop-up Opera is setting Così fan tutte in an English estate with a high society picnic, traditional country-house games of tennis, cricket and croquet and some exotic eastern surprises. Downton Abbey meets Pride and Prejudice to create the perfect setting for an evening of imbibing summer cocktails and letting the romance of the music seduce you.

Pop-up Opera endeavours to make opera entertaining, without compromising quality, and their witty combination of props, story-telling and interaction makes audience members feel as if they have been given a backstage pass.

Their unique approach and commitment to attracting new and wider audiences is paying off, as founder Clementine Lovell explains. "The audiences do vary from venue to venue, for instance if we're playing a London warehouse, it will be a younger audience, but we're seeing a broad spectrum of people, from children as young as five and they have absolutely loved it. At a recent show, I saw a girl of about 12 who was clearly disgruntled about being brought to see opera - when I caught sight of her later she was on tenterhooks.

"I also had an email from one parent saying 'thank you so much, it's such a brilliant first introduction to opera.

"That's what we want to do," says Clementine. "We want to instil a seed that grows into a real love of opera.

"There is a misconception that opera is elitist, but the themes are pretty universal - there is always something that speaks to an audience."

Cosi fan Tutte is at Lyde Court on Thursday, June 12, Broome Farm, Peterstow on Sunday, July 13, and St Michael and All Angels church, Kingsland (artsalive.com) on Saturday, July 19.

To book for Lyde Court, call 01432 357753 or visit lydecourt.com.