An admirer of pop star Madonna, operatic soprano Ann Liebeck has put together a theatrical tango concoction featuring an older female protagonist.

At 56 Madonna is still going strong and this is a quality Ann, who began her performance career in the late 1980s, admires greatly and has used as an inspiration for her show Violetta’s Last Tango – a fusion of opera with tango song and dance.

The south Acton resident, says: ”She’s a great inspiration – I think she’s amazing. We live in a very youth dominated culture and actually that was part of the reason for writing this show. I wanted to write a part for the older woman and I think it will resonate with lots of women.”

Central character Violetta, played by Ann, is a tango singer reflecting on her memories of long lost love and past sacrifices she has made.

The production also stars West End performer Arthur Kyeyune, with award-winning tango couple from Finchley David and Kim Benitez and top jazz violinist Omar Puente with his tango band.

Ann, who has sung with the Czech State Opera in Prague, says: ”It’s been an amazing journey, I’ve never produced anything like this before. I have sung in a lot of big productions in major opera houses, but I’ve learned a lot from being in production and seeing how it’s all put together.”

However, Ann stresses: ”This is not a tango show. The music you will hear is pure tango with a little kind of nod to opera.”

And singing opera while dancing tango has been no mean feat.

”I hope that I’ve come to a successful compromise, dancing loosens up the body of course and it loosens up the voice,” explains Ann, who started to take her love affair with tango seriously in 2011.

”At the time I think subconsciously I was creating my own show from 20 years in opera and a little bit of musical theatre and my love of tango. I think there’s something elemental about it – I think people feel it, and tango is all about feeling.”

Her production, which features music by Verdi, Bizet and Piazzolla among others, has been altered for its staging at artsdepot, with the lyrics translated into English.

”This is very new. You will never really hear tango sung in English. We want to show this world to the wider audience,” says Ann who has performed around Europe, but never before in North Finchley.

artsdepot, Nether Street, Tally Ho Corner, North Finchley, Saturday, March 28, 7.30pm. Details: 020 8369 5454, artsdepot.co.uk