NICOLA LISLE talks to Opera Anywhere's founders, Mike and Vanessa Woodward, about their Christmas double bill and a revolutionary Don Giovanni

Ever since Opera Anywhere burst on to the scene for Opera on the Pond at Sunningwell in 2000 - an event Vanessa Woodward describes as "a wacky idea that Mike had" - they have performed in a variety of venues across Oxfordshire and beyond, from village halls to stately homes, from churches to castles.

"We decided to call ourselves Opera Anywhere because we do just that - we're game to go anywhere!" laughs Vanessa. "Last year we did a performance in a railway station, which got a lot of attention. That led on to other things, like our performances in Oxford Castle this year.

"Over the last six years we've been mainly based in Oxfordshire, but we've gone a bit further afield this year, including Sherbourne Castle in the summer, and Cheltenham Pump Room.

"Our main aim is taking opera to the people, and getting people to enjoy opera who've not experienced it before."

We were in a makeshift dressing room at Waddesdon Manor, near Aylesbury, just two hours before the company's first presentation of its Christmas double bill - Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors and Britten's The Little Sweep. There was excited chattering nearby. This served as a noisy reminder that we had a mainly young cast, but, as I was later to find out, a very talented one.

"This was the first time we had done anything with children, and it was quite a challenge," admits Vanessa. "But it was great, because using children draws people in. Musical director Debbie Rose and our producer, Becky Moseley-Morgan, have worked with lots of children. They got them to come and audition. So we've got a really good cast."

The children from The Little Sweep also form the chorus for Amahl, rather than the usual adult chorus. All the adult roles, though, are played by professional singers.

Vanessa herself plays Miss Baggott, the housekeeper, in The Little Sweep, while husband Mike is one of the Kings in Amahl. The other two kings are played by Nick Gee, who appeared in Opera Anywhere's Great Opera Moments last summer, and newcomer Russell Matthews, while Mother is played by Opera Anywhere regular Beth Cameron.

The title role is played by promising youngster James Allen, who made his operatic debut in the same part last Christmas, in a production that Mike was also involved in. "We decided then that we wanted to put Amahl on this Christmas, and that we wanted to use James before his voice changes," explained Vanessa.

Following its opening at Waddesdon, the production - a joint project with Opera Festa - will be touring to Woodstock, Wantage and Oxford during December.

"We decided on Wantage Church because James has family connections there," says Vanessa. "It's a big venue, very well-equipped and has a good stage. Also, we wanted to perform Amahl in a church at Christmas. We've also chosen the Holywell Music Room in Oxford, because it's a popular venue and has a lovely cosy setting. But the Green Room is very small, so fitting all these children in is going to be a challenge."

Unusually for Opera Anywhere, both operas have been given a fairly conventional treatment. "Although we tend not to do things traditionally, we decided we would for a change," says Vanessa. "And Amahl is such a good piece. The story and the music speak for itself. Also, The Little Sweep wouldn't work unless you did it traditionally because of its period setting."

"It's really nice to do this, because it's homely and family-friendly," adds Mike. "That's really crucial."

But there's nothing homely or family-friendly about Opera Anywhere's next project - a radical new production of Don Giovanni, set in a 1990s banking environment, with a new translation by Anna Pelly that is sure to shock with its strong language.

"It is going to be controversial," admits Mike. "But when we tested it in the summer we had an overwhelmingly positive response. People appreciated the fact that we were taking a risk, and trying to do something different."

Don Giovanni is scheduled to open in May or June next year, and could see the company travelling further afield than ever before. "There's a theatre in Tunbridge Wells that's interested in putting it on," Vanessa tells me. "We're going to tour a few small theatres as well, and try to get into some corporate events and festivals. I think this could be the biggest thing we've ever done."

The company is also being filmed for a fly-on-the-wall documentary, to be shown on terrestrial TV next spring, which will help raise their profile nationally. In more ways than one, this is a company that is really going places.

Opera Anywhere's Christmas double bill continues on December 20 at St Mary's Church, Wantage, and on December 21 at the Holywell Music Room, Oxford. Box office: 01865 305305. There will also be a free performance of The Little Sweep only on Sunday at Woodstock Church. For more details, visit www.operaanywhere.com