State Opera South Australia is excited to announce that Mozart’s comic opera Così fan tutte will hit Adelaide next month at Her Majesty’s Theatre, with their newly appointed Artistic Director conducting his first opera with the company.
The operatic rom-com sees lust and loyalty go head-to-head in a lavish, contemporary production set in a luxurious Italian resort.
Dane Lam, Artistic Director of State Opera South Australia, said that this opera was particularly special to him. “This work is so incredibly beautiful. I’ve conducted it several times over my career, and naturally have also worked with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, but to conduct this opera in my first official role with the company is very exciting,” he said.
“State Opera’s 2023 production of The Marriage of Figaro was compared to an episode of The Office… I’d say Così fan tutte can be likened to White Lotus or Love Island,” Lam said. “Whether you’re a seasoned opera lover or a curious newcomer to the art form, this production is an opportunity to immerse yourself in the beauty and intricacy of Mozart’s music and the timeless themes it explores.”
Acclaimed Australian director, Patrick Nolan, CEO and Artistic Director of Opera Queensland, makes his debut in Adelaide, having received glowing reviews from the premiere of Così fan tutte in Brisbane in August 2023.
“Così fan tutte is the most elusive of all the Mozart/Da Ponte operas. The first act is laugh out loud funny, and in act two we are thrown into a world of rich and complex emotions as the stakes in the game of love are raised and suddenly there is a lot more to lose. I’m excited to be able to explore this wonderful opera again with a new cast of very fine singers and Dane in the pit. Audiences should prepare to encounter this extraordinary work in a very fresh, funny and tender way,” he said.
As the lively overture starts, audiences will be swept away by the music and transported to a luscious villa on the Southern coast of Italy, following the journey of four young lovers and a cynical older gentleman who challenges the very idea of love and fidelity. Best friends Guglielmo and Ferrando accept his bet that their girlfriends, sisters Fiordiligi and Dorabella, will not stay faithful to them in the face of temptation. As the young men don disguises and set out to win the bet by seducing the other’s partner, they, and their girlfriends, find their understanding of love and commitment put to the ultimate test. As passions burn hotter than the Neapolitan sun, spicy surprises and hilarious revelations make their way onto the stage.
Lam has handpicked an exciting cast of superb Australian performers: playing the sisters, soprano Sky Ingram and mezzo-soprano Anna Dowsley are joined by baritone Nicholas Lester and tenor Kyle Stegall, as their beaus. The production brings home South Australians Sky Ingram and Nicholas Lester who each enjoy successful international careers from their London bases.
Christopher Hillier and Jessica Dean round out the cast as the cynical Don Alfonso and maid Despina, alongside the State Opera chorus and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra.
Funny, seductive and full of drama, Così fan tutte is set to be an operatic sensation for Adelaide viewers as exquisite singing, opulent staging, and a profound emotional journey unfolds on stage.
The production of Così fan tutte is set to hit Adelaide for a four-show season late next month with tickets starting at $35.
Image credit: Visual Poets Society
