Love has well and truly conquered war as La Traviata is brought to the audiences in South Bucks next week.

The latest tour of the popular love story has been plagued by difficulties. Preparations for the show in Ukraine were affected by fighting and the production team struggled to get the costumes and set out of the war-torn area.

La Traviata, an opera which tells a 19th century love story in three acts, was created by Guiseppe Verdi and first performed in Venice in 1853.

A tragic tale of searing passion and memorable music, La Traviata is Verdi’s outstanding interpretation of one of the most popular love stories of the 19th century, La Dame aux Camelias.

Based on a true story, La Traviata tells of the passionate loves and life of the consumptive courtesan, Violetta. There are many echoes of Verdi’s own life in Traviata and he threw himself into the music. The highlights include the Brindisi, the best known drinking song in opera, the duet Un Di Felice and Violetta’s haunting aria Addio Del Passato.

While preparing for the brand new tour with the Ukrainian National Opera in Kharkiv, Ellen Kent, the award-winning opera producer and director of La Traviata, was caught just six miles from a bloody civil war.

Despite being warned by the British Foreign Office not to travel due to fatalities, bombings and kidnappings, Ellen persevered and managed to transport the complete sets, props and costumes out of the area.

Ellen said: "I was in Odessa in rehearsals for Butterfly in 2005 when the Orange Revolution broke out and I just thought, here we go again."

Now, Ellen has brought together a brand new company, including Ukrainians, Moldovans and Russians who have worked in harmony to bring the heart-wrenching love story to the stage.

Determined that the show must go on, after battling to save her show from the clutches of war, Ellen is now bringing the love story to audiences in South Bucks.

The operas will be sung in traditional Italian style, with English surtitles projected on screen.

The show is expected to be a spectacular evening, full of magnificent sets that were designed by renowned Ukrainian designer Nadia Shvets and a 70-strong company of soloists and musicians.

International sopranos Alyona Kistenyova and Maria Tsonina, baritone Vladimir Dragos, and tenors Ruslan Zinevych, who has sung with the likes of Pavarotti, and Giorgio Meladze, will entertain the audience with their spine-tingling voices.

Ellen is determined that her show will not be brought down by the struggle she experienced in trying to bring it to the stage.

She said: "As ever my productions are huge and will be a feast for the eyes as well as the ears. After all we've been through bringing them to the stage, it has definitely been worth it.

"Three members of our orchestra have joined the Chisinau Philharmonic for this tour because the Opera House in Donetsk, near the fighting, has closed. People often don't realise when they're watching it on television the effect it has on ordinary people who still have to support their families.

"This is our way of fighting back, showing that whatever is happening over there, we will continues to showcase Eastern European talent and put on a tremendous show."

La Traviata will be at the Aylesbury Waterside on February 8. Tickets range from £17.90 to £41.40, available online at www.atgtickets.com/aylesbury or by calling the box office on 0844 871 7607. The show is heading to the Wycombe Swan on February 22. Tickets are £32.50, available at www.wycombeswan.co.uk or by calling the ticket office on 01494 512 000.