WHEN Shakespeare said "All the world's a stage" he certainly did not have Marika van der Meer's back garden in mind.

But that has not stopped the opera singer and her partner and manager Andre Romijn creating their own auditorium behind their home.

Marika, 36, who has sung professionally all over Europe and the United States, moved to North Yorkshire from her native Holland two years ago and started teaching at colleges across the county.

When she was looking for venues for her students to give their first performances, the garden of home in Ripon's Allhallowgate seemed the obvious choice.

Andre, 39, who built the stage and seating for about 80 people, said: "Marika sang quite a lot in Germany and it was quite common to have performances outside. The idea was to give students a chance to perform and, if it is a success, we hope to have regular concerts there.

"It is dependant on the weather, but it is quite enclosed from the wind and, if the weather is not so good, we might put a canvas roof on it."

Andre came up with the design for the garden theatre and laid the foundations last summer, completing the concrete stage and seating last month.

He said: "The garden was in a mess when we moved in, so this was part of improving it.

"Lots of people have seen it and everyone says it looks good, so hopefully it will be a success."

The auditorium will see its first performance next month at a gala concert when soprano Marika will sing arias accompanied by a piano and violin.

Marika and Andre have also formed an ensemble of professional musicians and singers, Commedia dell'Arte, which will perform highlights from operettas in autumn next year in concerts in Newcastle, Harrogate and York.

The ensemble aims to perform operettas and operas in their original languages and in the style of the Viennese or Milan productions.