Ellen Kent won't forget Hull in a hurry. On one memorable occasion, the opera director had to cope with a runaway stage prop.

The full-sized elephant, which was on coasters, had been placed outside Hull New Theatre for a photo opportunity.

One gust of wind later, the giant prop – along with the tour manager who was perched on its back – were mobile.

"I can remember her clinging on and the elephant being pursued by the technical crew and some photographers," she says.

"They were sailing off down the street, propelled by this terribly strong gust."

The 62-year-old, speaking to the Mail from Eastbourne, is full of these yarns.

It comes, she says, from having the "cheek of the devil" – a love for spectacle which has always been a trademark of her work.

The elephant – a prop for her touring production of Aida – has, over the past couple of decades, been joined by some other eye-popping moments, including a group of naked women and a golden eagle.

"The naked women were for a production at the Bristol Hippodrome," she said.

"They were draped around the stage, looking rather beautiful – there was nothing vulgar about it.

"The golden eagle was a real show-off, though. It was on the arm of a singer, and did backward flips as he sang.

"There were two old men near me who were watching it all through opera glasses – 'I've never seen a golden eagle' one of them said, though I'm not sure if they were solely looking at the bird."

There's a similar sense of opulence for Ellen's production of Madama Butterfly, which arrives at Hull New Theatre next week.

The stage set for this Puccini opera – about a 15-year-old Japanese girl, Butterfly, who falls in love with an American naval lieutenant – features an oriental garden with cherry trees, bamboo trees and two 10ft acacias.

"I used to have a water feature with koi carp – I can go over the top a bit sometimes," she said.

"One unkind journalist compared the set to a garden centre. I can go over the top, but with this I've pulled back a bit. I've looked to reflect Japanese culture, rather than completely stuff the stage with trees."

This delight in the grandeur of opera is something which has always been part of her work.

"You have to be in tune with your audience," she said.

"I'm not here to stage cutting-edge opera – it is entertainment opera with beautiful sets and very real performances. I'd never put a 50-year-old as Butterfly, because I'd never believe in her as a 15-year-old character."

For a woman whose career has been devoted to opera – with productions that have toured around the world – she still gets as big a buzz as ever from mounting a show.

"I've turned my hobby into a business," she said.

"Even if I drop dead tomorrow, I'll feel I have done something with my life."