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On Saturday we went to see Handel's Orlando at Sadlers Well Theatre. Independent Opera produced it in the theatre's Bayliss Studio. It was one of the most satisfying Handel opera productions that I have seen in a long time, a review will occur in due course.

But as usual with programmes of this length we had some oddities regarding intervals and start times. The opera started at 6.30pm and there was about 2 hours 45 minutes of music in 3 acts. So we could reasonably have expected there to be 2 intervals and the performance would have finished around 10pm, not too bad at all. Instead, there was 1 interval (after Act 1), leaving Acts 2 and 3 to be performed together, albeit with an extended pause between them. With a finish time of around 9.35pm. Most unsatisfactory, why do theatres shy away so much from 2 intervals in long 3 act operas.