Cardiff-born soprano Rosemary Joshua is one of the most in-demand Handel singers in the world, yet opportunities to hear her on Britain's shores are far too seldom. That makes English National Opera's new production of Handel's Partenope all the more welcome: Joshua takes the title role, one of the most demanding in the repertoire, in an unjustly neglected work from the composer's maturity. I caught up with the soprano at the Coliseum after the first night of the run to talk about Handel, her belated debut at Welsh National Opera, her returns to Covent Garden and the Proms, and her plans for new recordings.

Joshua is looking relaxed and self-confident as we meet, and she's evidently relieved to have had a few days' rest after an exhausting rehearsal schedule. Christopher Alden's new production has baffled many of the critics in its aims, so I ask Joshua to clarify the thinking behind it.

'It's very difficult to explain,' she admits. 'Christopher had so many fabulous ideas, and did so much research into this era; it's very interesting to think of the Surrealists and see everybody coming together and get a sense of 'anything goes'. He wanted to create this environment of a group of people who work together, hang out together, with Partenope as a queen bee dressed as Nancy Cunard or Coco Chanel. It's like the Bloomsbury Group, which is a really interesting idea.