If you don't mind a little fun with your opera seria, David McVicar's production of Handel's Julius Caesar will give you a wonderful evening's entertainment.

Purists be warned, this is no static piece. McVicar invests it with much humour and mixes his periods so you will be constantly surprised as to where you find yourself. But be assured that musically and vocally this is a stunning piece of opera, which I doubt will be bettered in a long while.

Giulio Cesare was Handel's 17th opera and one of a group of Italian language operas he wrote for the Royal Acamedy of Music in London in the 1720s.

A traditional operatic tale of revenge and betrayal, Handel set it in 48BC and the central story is the love of Cleopatra for Rome's first emperor.

McVicar opens his production at a harbour near Alexandria and his first surprise is a fleet of Nelson-era battleships arriving in port.

The second shock soon follows. Instead of traditional Roman soldiers coming ashore, we are given British redcoats complete with carbines and pith helmets all led by a kilt-wearing pipe major.

Other shocks include Cleopatra dressing as a sort of Thirties Sally Bowles doing a rather sexy thing with a parasol, a stunning piece of theatre as the Queen of Egypt takes her bath in ass's milk and, in this International Year of the Sea, an almost carbon copy backdrop of last week's review of the Fleet at Portsmouth.

With choreography ranging from the courtly to that which would not be out of place at a modern disco, the opera also includes a striking variation on the old Music Hall routine of the Wilson, Keppel and Betty sand dance. This is a truly mixed-up piece but it works tremendously well.

What McVicar has done is make Handel exciting and even astonishing but his visual extravagances exactly match the spectacle of Handel's music.

In the pit is the Emperor of Baroque conductors, William Christie, leading the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, helping the singers pull out all the stops to make this production entrancing.

Soprano Sarah Connolly is majestic in the title role and American soprano Danielle de Niese is a sexy and superb Cleopatra. Austrian mezzo-soprano Angelika Kirchschlager is a stunning Sesto, set to reach operatic fame. Completing the fine female quartet is Patricia Bourden, a beautifully-voiced Cornelia.

Bass-baritone Christopher Maltman is a highly-effective Achillas and there are two fine counter-tenors in Christophe Dumaux and the Moroccan singer Rachid Ben Abdeslam.

This is a faultless and flawless production and if you can't get to see it at Glyndebourne, you can hear it on BBC3 Radio live from the Proms on August 23.

In repertory until August 20, call 01273 813813