The trees and woods around Glyndebourne have come indoors for the summer to turn the opera house's stage into a wonderful, magical forest.

The opening night marked two important anniversaries for Benjamin Britten's opera, taken from the Shakespeare play.

It was the 46th anniversary of the premiere of this work and the 25th anniversary of this landmark production by Peter Hall.

What Hall did back in 1981 and what he does again in this revival is to match his sets to Britten's music.

The creaking, the breezes and the whispering of the eerie night-time wood is finally spelled out in the score, flawlessly handled by the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Ilan Volkov, making his Glyndebourne debut.

Top singing honours go to Costa Rican soprano Iride Martinez as Tytania, the Queen of the Fairies, and American counter-tenor Bejun Mehta as her King Oberon.

This pair, who have recently fallen out, are responsible for most of the mischief within the opera, aided and abetted by their gang of fairies, elves and hobgoblins, led by the most meddlesome of them all, Shakespeare's universally-loved Puck.

In this latter role is 11-year-old Jack Morlen, a brave little chap who turns cartwheels, swings and flies through the air dispensing his mischief. Jack is a pupil, and I guess a star pupil, at the Shana Goldman Stage School in Hove.

As he steals the scenes from the fairies, so Sussex-based bass singer Matthew Rose shines as Bottom among the Mechanicals.

His dance while wearing an ass's head is a splendid comic moment. This is a fine and dazzling production of an operatic masterpiece which gives nothing but 24-carat pleasure.

Until Aug 7, call 01273 813813