OPERA fans will be in their element as a production is beamed live from London to the big screen outside Southend’s Forum library.

Verdi’s Rigoletto will be screened live from the stage to an audience outside the Forum in Southend, on Wednesday.

The dramatic piece is the final opera in the season of BP Big Screens in 2014, where live events are simultaneously screened outdoors across the country.

Telling the tale of a court jester, audiences will be sure to recognise La donna è mobile, one of the world’s best known tenor arias.

Pre-show screening begins at 7pm with the performance to start at 7.30pm on the big screen in the public square.

The opera is expected to last three hours, and as well as the action on stage, the screening will also feature exclusive backstage films beforehand and competitions.

Audience members are invited to bring their own folding seats, or cushions – and picnic.

Free entry to the event is on a first-come-first-served basis, subject to capacity.

To find out more about the screening on Wednesday, September 17, visit theforum southend.co.uk/bigscreen or call 01702 215000.