Glyndebourne and Figaro: a perfect marriage

Often cited as the greatest opera ever written, Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) has a rich history with Glyndebourne dating back 80 years.

It was the work that launched the unique festival, which takes place in a purpose-built theatre in the grounds of a Sussex country house, and has been revived regularly ever since.

Audrey Mildmay, the wife of founder John Christie, starred as Susanna in that opening performance on 28 May 1934.

In the first of a series of collaborations between BBC Arts and Glyndebourne this summer to mark the festival's 80th anniversary, Glyndebourne archivist Julia Aries reveals how a costume she wore in that first production became the most treasured item in the company’s vaults.

And she tells how Figaro became synonymous with Glyndebourne as it was revived through the decades – including a memorable staging at the opening of the rebuilt opera house in 1994.