The mythological story of Semele - a woman so confident in her own desires and ambition that she attracted the King of the Gods as her lover - became the first-ever baroque opera to be performed in China, just over a decade ago.

Ten years on and a completely re-imagined Semele is back, this time in the city of Shanghai, to help celebrate the 140th anniversary of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra.

With rare and unrestricted access to the creation of such a cultural event in China, Ella-mai Robey joins the multi-national cast and crew for all the drama involved in taking the show from planning stages to first-night performance.

The production is the brainchild of Lady Linda Wong Davies, founder of the KT Wong Foundation, which aims to foster a mutual understanding between China and the rest of the world through creative projects. Together, with Royal Opera House director Julia Burbach, conductor Maestro Long Yu and a cast including soprano Jane Archibald - they have just six weeks to prepare the production from scratch.

The clock is ticking. Will the arrival of a theatrical set – the first in the history of Shanghai Symphony Hall – prove too much?

Staging Semele in Shanghai - Part one 30:15 Share

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Staging Semele in Shanghai - Part one