If Opera normally makes you yawn, a festival of entirely new works at Hammersmith's Riverside Studios might be more your style.

Tete a Tete, The Opera Festival, runs for three weeks and aims to challenge and re-define the 'fat lady sings' misconception.

Here's what's on:

Panic Opera! Witness an amazing 'speed dating' where dozens of artists create fully-staged and orchestrated world premieres in less than two hours.

The first London performances by Scottish Opera since The Trojans and The Vanishing Bridegroom at the Royal Opera House in 1990, with their major new commission Five:15 Operas Made in Scotland.

Opera North will develop The Violins Project, which explores the common folk tales about making violins from the remains of loved ones.

Soprano Patricia Rozario drives a taxi as she premieres Andrew Gant's new one-woman opera, Don't Go Down the Elephant, and Errollyn Wallen returns for a rare cabaret performance.

SharpWire's Johnny's Midnight Goggles returns. It's a one-man operatic thriller created for last year's festival as a work in progress.

Brick Lane star Christopher Simpson presents the premiere of his very personal song cycle Very Present Tense, in Kaspar Hauser.

Tete a Tete, The Opera Festival, is at the Riverside Studios, Crisp Road, from Thursday, July 31, until Sunday, August 17. s5 per show, s12.50 three shows, s25 with dinner. Call 020 8237 1111. See www.riversidestudios.co.uk or www.tete-a-tete.org.uk