OPERA TAKES ON AN AUSTRALIAN CLASSIC
State Opera returns to the new-look Her Majesty’s Theatre this November with an operatic take on the Aussie icon, Summer of the Seventeenth Doll.
Ray Lawler’s famed play was re-imagined for the operatic stage by composer Richard Mills and literary icon Peter Goldsworthy in the mid 1990s, and will receive its third ever season as part of State Opera’s Lost Operas of Oz initiative – which champions Australian operas worthy of a contemporary audience.
Set in working class 1950s Melbourne, Summer of the Seventeenth Doll is the story of a long-standing summer fling between cane-cutters Barney and Roo and two city girls. But after seventeen years, the larrikin charm and carefree summers of their youth have begun to fade. Instead, their reunion is full of tension, silence, and awkward attempts to hold onto their past. All of them struggle to come to terms with what their futures hold.
The Australian opera has a cast of seven singers, a small orchestral ensemble, and is a new production – factors that make the season possible in spite of the current travel restrictions, international logistics, and work health safety considerations.
“We are fortunate that the creative flexibility in our new production of Summer of the Seventeenth Doll means that we can go ahead and present it as scheduled, in the glorious new Her Majesty’s Theatre. Doll holds such a special place in the collective heart of so many of us that it seems a fitting tribute to the Australian creative spirit that this is the show of 2020 that will bring State Opera back to the stage” said Artistic Director Stuart Maunder AM.
As well as being regarded as the first play that showed a real Australian identity on stage, Summer of the Seventeenth Doll is noted for the eerie presence of seventeen carnival kewpie dolls that are central to the plot.
Joseph Mitchell will return to direct for State Opera after his acclaimed interpretation of Boojum! with composer, Richard Mills conducting the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Antoinette Halloran, Dimity Shepherd, Bradley Daley, Joshua Rowe, Desiree Frahn, Nicholas Cannon, and Elizabeth Campbell. This brand-new production is designed by Simone Romaniuk with lighting by Trudy Dalgleish.
“Featuring a host of outstanding Australian artists and creatives, this is a wonderful opportunity for us to come together and celebrate having opera back on the stage in Adelaide,” said Maunder.
Don’t miss Summer of the Seventeenth Doll from 14-20 November 2020. Tickets are on sale now, with pricing starting from $60 (B Reserve).
COVID-19 Due to COVID-19, things will be a little different when you take your seats. Performances at Her Majesty’s Theatre will be held in accordance with SA Health directions and a range of public health measures are in place to keep patrons, artists, and staff safe. These include 50% theatre capacity and checkerboard seating
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