Alexander McCall Smith has set up an opera house in the bush on the outskirts of Gaborone, Botswana, the setting for his hugely successful No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series of novels.

Known as The No. 1 Ladies’ Opera House, it is being housed in a converted former transport garage, which Mr McCall Smith discovered while looking at locations for the filming of the books. 

Botswana has a tradition of choral singing, and as the only venue of its kind in the country The No. 1 Ladies’ Opera House will give local singers a chance to perform in both opera and regular concerts.

The project will provide employment for five people, and aims to stage one or two operas a year using a small chamber orchestra of local players and players brought in from South Africa. As far as possible; the singers will all be local. “We will find our great tenors in Botswana,” said Alexander McCall Smith. The venue will also be used for musical recitals, poetry readings and other arts events, with ticket prices kept to a minimum, and occasional free performances to ensure the music remains as accessible as possible.
 
Redbush tea, the brew of choice of the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency heroine Mma Ramotswe, will be served during the intervals.
 
“People might think it an impossible, ridiculous dream,” said Mr McCall Smith. “But why not? The singers are there. The building is there. And if the singers have to compete with the cicadas at night, then they are well used to that. Botswana is a wonderful country which to date has lacked an opera house. Now it has one. And it doesn’t matter if it only seats sixty. Those sixty will have a lovely time.”