Lynne Plowman denies her new opera at the Oxford Playhouse, The House of Gods, aims to shock, writes NICOLA LISLE

"Comedy and horror walk hand in hand," says the press release, and that's a pretty neat summation of the potent mix of sex, magic and macabre goings-on that makes up The House of the Gods, the latest offering from Music Theatre Wales.

Written by composer Lynne Plowman and librettist Martin Riley - the team that created Gwyneth and the Green Knight for the same company three years ago - this bizarre but compelling opera comes to the Oxford Playhouse at the end of this month, following a successful premiere in Brecon in May.

Despite the fact that this Gothic fantasy features scenes of sex and death, Lynne disagreed with my suggestion that the opera is shocking.

"It's not shocking, it's entertaining," she insisted. "But it does deal with adult themes, and we were very conscious that because our last opera was for a young audience, we didn't want people to think this was another children's opera, which it definitely isn't. It's not suitable for people under 16.

"But it is very accessible - it's funny, it's dark, and it's got a really meaty story and colourful characters."

Ah yes, the story. Fasten your seatbelts, because this is a rollercoaster of a ride, which lurches from reality to fantasy, from horror to comedy, and from lust to love, all with barely a pause for breath.

Set in the East End of London during the First World War, it follows the journey of Jack, a heroic but disillusioned soldier, who has returned early from the trenches suffering from shellshock. After being beaten up in the street, he is taken into a sinister pub, symbolically called The Halfway House, run by an eccentric Irish family who just happen to be Celtic gods and goddesses in disguise.

Down in the basement, the sinister Uncle Crom is creating a deadly potion that will turn men into 'super warriors', capable of mass destruction. Jack joins forces with Lily, the daughter of the house, to try and beat this evil.

Lynne is delighted with the setting, which has allowed her to draw inspiration from a number of musical sources.

"I've really tried to create the atmosphere of that world," she said. "So there are elements of music hall and cabaret, and also of Hammer horror. It's all done within a contemporary musical language, so it's not pastiche, but it draws on musical ideas that are familiar to the audience and help to create an atmosphere instantly."

She is equally delighted with the cast for this production.

"There are five characters and they're all virtuosic parts. Every one of the singers we have has that virtuoso quality and also is a wonderful actor. There's a whole extra level of colour to the characters that I hadn't even imagined. So it's great - I'm really pleased."

The cast is led by Welsh baritone Mark Evans, who plays the embittered soldier Jack.

"It's a difficult part to play, because it's quite heavy going," Mark told me. "It's also vocally very difficult. It's very high, because Lynne wanted to show somebody at their wit's end all the time, and, if we are vulnerable, we tend to be at the top of our voice. Well, to be singing at the top of your voice for a lot of the opera - that's hard work! Then there's the drama behind it, which I'm as passionate about as the singing."

Mark's career has seen him performing with most of the major opera companies, performing roles such as Don Giovanni, Marcello in La boheme and a particularly highly-acclaimed Papageno in The Magic Flute in the US. Yet he considers Jack to be one of his most challenging roles.

"This is very difficult to learn rhythmically. It's difficult to make music that is not just singing the notes, but is something special and feels very natural. And then you've got to put the character on to that. So it is tricky."

No stranger to creating new roles, Mark has a string of world premieres to his name, including The Blackened Man at the Linbury Studio Theatre, Covent Garden, For the Public Good, written to commemorate the Centenary of the London Coliseum, The Lion Hunt for the ENO Baylis programme, and The Redflight/Barcud, a new children's opera for WNO. Is this a particular passion of his, I wondered?

"I do enjoy it. With something like Jack I can develop and find a strong character, which is great. And there's no other Jacks to look at - mine's the only one."

Mark is joined by Andrew Slater and Fiona Kimm as the dubious landlord and landlady of the pub, Louise Cannon as their daughter Lily, and Philip Sheffield as the creepy Uncle Crom. The opera is directed by Michael McCarthy, and the 11-strong orchestra is conducted by Michael Rafferty.

"If you've never been to an opera before, this is the one to come and see," said Lynne. "It's a good night out and it's fun."

The House of the Gods is at the Oxford Playhouse on Sunday, October 29. For tickets, call 01865 305305.