Last updated:聽7 june, 2010 - 15:32 GMT
The Pearl Fishers
The Pearl Fishers is a tale of love and friendship set in an exotic far eastern island with music by George Bizet - the composer of Carmen.
Now a new production at English National Opera aims to take this classic nineteenth century opera into the era of climate change and oil spills.
Anna McNamee finds out why when she talks to the director Penny Woolcock - best known for her gritty urban TV dramas - and the production's Arab American soprano star Hanan Alattar.