One frequent criticism of Wexford has been that insufficient Irish performers are included. Recently, because of union rates that gnaw away at the singers' budget, orchestras from Belarus and Poland have occupied the pit instead of Ireland's National Symphony Orchestra. The current expansion, to a 750-seat state-of-the-art auditorium specially designed for opera, reconfigurable to accommodate a smaller audience of 430, plus an adaptable 200-seater studio, will transform the interior " We've simply outgrown our space," says Hennessy. The company owns the freehold, and recently bought five adjacent properties, making possible an enlargement to two-and-a-half times the size. Currently, the theatre is occupied for about 150 days a year, receiving local and touring groups as well as hosting the festival There are plans to double that. It has a major impact on the town's economy during the fallow period between late summer and Christmas." The Theatre Royal remains the festival's greatest asset. But what's important, " Hennessy adds, "is that this festival grew up from the Wexford community.

It was started by those with day jobs in the hospital, in the post office People felt a sense of ownership right from the start They're proud of it Everyone in the town is touched by it There's a huge involvement in fringe activity. Ever since, it has built up a reputation for being the friendliest festival in Europe. But what makes Wexford so special? Paul Hennessy takes up the story: "I think the feeling starts even before you enter the building. You're strolling down this plain, unpretentious street, then a door opens and you suddenly walk straight into the magical world of stagecraft and opera It's a stark contrast. You're ambushed by the theatre, and move instantly from one world into another "Our new design will retain that feel.

You will still walk up High Street, enter the same door, experience the same magic. Along with the chairman Paul Hennessy and a far-sighted committee, Hynes also set in motion major plans, which garnered wide support and the necessary planning permission, to expand Wexford's Theatre Royal. The project is the most exciting development in over 50 years of the festival, launched in 1951 by a local doctor, Tom Walsh, and Sir Compton Mackenzie, with a production of the Irish composer Michael Balfe's The Rose of Castile. It was the critic and opera- lover Bernard Levin who, quoting a friend, dubbed Wexford Festival Opera, "the world's best children's party for adults".