The old adage of going out with a bang could not be more apt when it comes to the UK's premiere opera and ballet producer Ellen Kent.

After 25 years of being at the forefront of her field, the 60-year-old is currently on her farewell tour but with three operas in three days at Wimbledon Theatre, she is refusing to go quietly.

"They are three big blockbusters in the biggest set I have ever constructed," she said of Verdi's Aida, Bizet's Carmen and Puccini's Turandot.

"They are big girl operas by a big girl opera producer and the set needs two massive articulated trucks to hike it around the country and about 16 technicians to get it in and out of shows.

"It's a big production and not something I would do every year but why not for my farewell tour?"

The big set she talks about is her amphitheatre, built last year at extravagant cost for her tour of Carmen.

"The three operas were not specifically chosen for the farewell tour," she said.

"It just happened I had built this big amphitheatre set, a rather magnificent building and I thought I may as well go out with a large bang.

"So we had this fabulous set and into it fits these three operas - it was more of case of the operas fitting the set rather than the set fitting the operas.

"Aida can go into it because it is set in ancient Greece and Turandot is set in ancient China so all I do is change the statues to the Terracotta Army and the set fits perfectly.

"The whole thing was initially built for Carmen anyway as I wanted to do it on a gladiator setting and the Colosseum was excellent for that."

Kent enjoyed huge success with her theatre productions before launching into opera in 1993.

Since then her company has played to more than 3.2m people worldwide and for Kent the decision to take a step back was not an easy one.

"I began thinking about this last year when I started doing the amphitheatre," she said.

"I was 60 in April and have been flogging away for 25 years on operas and ballets but between 60 and 70 I want a different way of doing what I do and to have a bit more for free time for me in my personal life.

"Although it seems after 17 years I am leaving, it's more like I am changing direction.

"I would like to be known for doing big outdoor shows like Aida outside the pyramids in Egypt and my ambition is to become more of an artistic director and not do the whole shebang of the funding and everything myself.

"I might be working just as hard over the next four or five years anyway as somebody is seriously interested in buying the company and it should all come to fruition soon I hope.

"Although I will be there it will be like directing the shows for someone else."

Ellen Kent's Amphitheatre Productions, New Wimbledon Theatre, The Broadway, June 1 (Aida), 2 (Turandot), 3 (Carmen), 7.30pm. Call 0870 060 6646 or visit newwimbledontheatre.co.uk.

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