BEAUTIFUL staging ensured this production of Madame Butterfly at Blackpool's Grand Theatre will stick in the mind for a long time to come.

The Russian State Opera of Rostov's enchanting set featured a built-up Japanese house with paper sliding walls and a small garden full of blossoms in front. Incense wafted across the packed auditorium, adding to the Oriental atmosphere.

Puccini's famous story of 15-year-old Cio-cio San, the beautiful young geisha turned bride, and her feckless American husband, was moving and poignant from the start.

Cio-cio San, or Butterfly as she is known, believes her husband's love is true, but he soon sails away. And when he finally returns three years later he has married again.

One tragic touch was the use of little butterflies which "flew" delicately all around the set, operated by members of the chorus.

The lighting was also fantastic, particularly during Butterfly's striking death scene. Deep blood-red backlighting threw the tragic mother into silhouette and shadows as her toddler sat in full spotlight at the front of the stage.

And with a full orchestra squashed into the pit producing a fabulous sound, all the singers -- refreshingly unamplified -- turned in good performances. Elena Kuznetsova-Kosalapova played a giddy Cio-cio San, tempered by the lusciously voiced mezzo-soprano Zarema Degtiareva as lady's maid Suzuki.

Vladimir Kabanov I thought underplayed Pinkerton, although his voice was also magnificently rich.

But undoubtedly the real star, as always, was Puccini and his magical score.