Opera's flying visit popular

Wade Kernot (below right) arrives on a chartered aircraft before playing Ferrando (above, centre-stage) in Southern Opera's production of Il Trovatore at the Regent Theatre on Saturday night. The set had been trucked down to Dunedin overnight, where mechanist Kieran McAleer (bottom left) helped assemble it on Saturday morning. Photo by Gerard O'Brien.

Southern Opera spent $40,000 chartering the aircraft to bring the 100 cast members and crew from Christchurch to Dunedin for the opera.

More than 1200 people filled the Regent Theatre for Il Trovatore.

The captain and crew of the aircraft also got complimentary tickets to the performance.

Immediately after the performance, the troupe boarded the plane, still in make-up, for an 11.40pm flight back to Christchurch.

Southern Opera chief executive Christopher Doig said he was "delighted" with the response to the opera.

"The whole cast absolutely loved coming to Dunedin to perform in the Regent Theatre," Doig said yesterday.

"As we have said all along, we'll do whatever it takes to bring international opera to Otago.

"We're really looking forward to coming back."