Let's face it: life can be tough when you're the cultured one in your social group. You want to expand your artistic horizons, but those philistines you call friends keep holding you back.
Opera Australia is coming to your rescue with Opera for One, a program that's a little bit like speed-dating for opera lovers (although it's unlikely you'll be going home with anybody at the end of the night). It's designed for those who can't find anybody to go to the opera with and just want somebody to chat to at interval.
Here's how it works: at select performances, the company is offering single B-reserve tickets for solo opera-goers, who'll be invited to a relaxed pre-show function with complimentary drinks and nibbles. There'll be a host from Opera Australia and a member of the creative team who'll tell you a little bit about the show and get that conversational ball rolling. All going to plan, you'll make a new friend and the interval chats will be riveting.
If that wasn't enough to tempt you, there's a 10 per cent discount on the tickets sold through the program.
This autumn, the program is running for three operas in the Melbourne season. You can get your vengeful court jester on with Rigoletto on May 15, swoon to Mozart's Così fan tutte on May 23, and see the rarely-performed Il Viaggio a Reims on May 30. See full details here.