THE 10th summer season of opera at Iford will feature some of the country's most exciting and innovative young companies.

Three operas will be performed between June 24 and July 26, presented as usual in the Grade I listed cloister.

The Early Opera Company is visiting Iford for a fourth year, this time bringing Handel's Ariodante.

The vibrant young ensemble, which performs with period instruments, is one of the UK's leading exponents of Handel and baroque opera, with regular dates at prestigious venues such as South Bank and Wigmore Hall.

Offenbach's La Belle Hlne will be performed by Opera Della Luna, who specialise in operas with dialogue, comic operas and operettas appropriate for a small space.

Their production will be ideal for the cloister at Iford, which has been described as the 'smallest opera house in captivity'.

Audience numbers are limited to 90, and they, along with the orchestra, are seated around a central performance area.

Iford administrator John Edwards said: "The cloister itself is the stage, so there is no room for sets. This is ideal because it liberates the young directors, who often have no resources for staging, to concentrate on the production."

The final opera this year is Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte, performed by The Opera Project.

Formed in 1993 in a Bristol pub, the company has been in residence at Iford since 1997, also performing at many other venues across the country. Iford's Italiante-style gardens, designed by the architect and landscape gardener Harold Peto, will be open for picnics at 6pm.

All the operas, which will start at around 7.15pm, will be performed in English.

A limited number of tickets are still available, and can be booked through the Theatre Royal Bath's box office on (01225) 448844.

Further details and brochures are available from Iford Arts on (01225) 868124 or visit www.ifordarts.co.uk