Kate Kelly

This opera is a contemplative and melancholy exploration of Kate Kelly (Emily Burke, soprano) and her tumultuous relationship with the land, men and the authorities. The show opens with ‘Bricky’ Foster (Andrew Moran, baritone) whose deep tones effectively capture the hypermasculinity of his character and the regrettable actions that it cultivates. There is both a bitterness and a charm to this character and this reveals an interesting complexity to his persona.

Kate Kelly has a variety of tragic emotions to deal with and the high tones of Burke’s voice highlight the urgency and despair that Kate’s harsh reality imposes. The string instruments in this composition are also fully exploited to capture the tension and anxiety in Kate’s difficult life. Quong Lee (Michael Lapiña, tenor) provides an altogether different perspective and brings to life the colonial hardships that plague all of these characters.

This is also nicely contextualised through the footage of the singers performing their pieces. Kate is always set in the landscape where she looks isolated and vulnerable. Whether captured in the wide, open spaces or near the church graveyard her troubled soul is always at the forefront. ‘Bricky’ is situated in a beautiful sandstone building which could easily be imagined as a favourite drinking haunt for bushrangers.  

While each of the compositions is a moving reflection on the characters and their trials and tribulations, this opera lacks a narrative thread to connect the three characters in a more tangible manner. They seem to linger in a similar sphere but are too loosely connected to see how this is primarily Kate’s story and the circumstances that bring them together to reflect on their lives in this way.

The musicians include Thibauld Pavlovic-Hobba (Violin, Flinders Quartet), Zoe Knighton (Cello, Flinders Quartet), Brendan Toohey (Clarinet), Patrick Burns (Accordion), and the Ensemble is performed by Daniel Felton, Tash Atkins, and Lana Lowry. All the performances

Patricia Di Risio 

https://www.gertrudeopera.com.au/