A new company, Co-Opera, is taking Verdi's La traviata around Ireland in a production by Michael Hunt with designs by Birte Meyer and John Bright. Maire O'Brien is the Violetta, Bjorn Arvidsson the Alfredo, and a small ensemble will be conducted by Andrew Synnott, writes Michael Dervan. The tour opens at Longford's Backstage Theatre tomorrow night, and will also be seen in Cork (Sunday), Waterford (Wednesday), Kilkenny (Friday 2nd), Tralee (Sunday 4th), Sligo (Tuesday 6th) and Galway (Thursday 8th to Saturday 10th).