Pimlico Opera are the professional touring arm of Grange Park Opera and for buffs, converts and newcomers to opera alike, their production of Verdi`s `Falstaff `at the Marine Theatre on Sunday October 12th at 7.30 heralds  a rare treat.  Obsessed with the playwright all his life, `Falstaff` is the third of Verdi`s operas to be based on the works of Shakespeare. The music is set to a libretto by Arrigo Boito drawn from the action in two plays, `The Merry Wives of Windsor` and `Henry IV`,  and is the last of the 26 operas from the pen of this greatest of all Italian composers, being first performed just months before his 90th birthday. For many lovers of the operas of Verdi, `Falstaff` is his masterpiece, although it marks a distinct departure in musical style from those that went immediately before.  Many of us will have seen Bryn Terfel, currently regarded as the greatest interpreter of the role, treating the audience at this year`s `Last Night of the Proms` to a typically full-on performance as the rakish and deceitful fat knight.  Benefiting from countless twists, turns and moments of high comedy as the ladies contrive to avoid the attentions of the libidinous Falstaff, this production has attracted spectacular reviews from the national press.  Sung in Italian, though with English surtitles, a cast of a dozen singers and a sizeable orchestra promise one of those `not-to-be forgotten` evenings at The Marine.  Tickets for ‘Falstaff ‘, £15 (£13 concession), are available from Lyme Regis Tourist Information Centre 01297 442138.

Whether committed, or still making your mind up, John Bartholomew, Chair of the LymeArts Community Trust will be giving an illustrated talk, under the auspices of the local U3A, on `Verdi and Falstaff`, in the theatre on Thursday October 9th at 2.30. Entry is free to U3A members and by donation to all others interested.