The Magic Flute

Austria sometimes gets mixed up with Australia, and you may have seen T-shirts to that effect with a map of the European country and a kangaroo crossed out.

This production, composed by Vienna-born Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, blends both countries in a different way. Director Kate Gaul and playwright Michael Gow translated the German language opera into Australian English, and inserted dialogue in place of some of songs.

The famous Queen of the Night aria goes ah ah ah ah ah ahhhhhh. This does NOT become oi oi oi oi oi oi oiiiiiiii (thankfully), but there is a sprinkle of Australian flavour in the revised libretto, such as the inclusion of the word G-Day.

This made the production fun, a more accessible way of introducing someone new to the artform, and is something tourists will enjoy seeing at the Sydney Opera House. However, it did not entirely gel or work for a purist. It was half-way between the world of operetta/musical and opera. 

Ben Mingay as Papageno was charismatic. The musical theatre star entered the stage blowing into his pipes from the audience. He was comfortable in the style of the adaptation and every lyric he sang could be understood. He made it feel like a musical. 

By contrast, some of the other seasoned opera singers required close reference to the sub-titles to understand the lyrics of their songs, even though it was being performed in English.

We’ve been spoiled with technical LED wizardry and jaw dropping sets in recent times from Opera Australia. By contrast this production was more minimalist. A projection of a full moon and shadow puppetry were the major scenic effects. The stage floor was dressed in artificial turf and the major backdrop comprised various coloured glitter curtains.

The contemporary costuming and props were amusing. Papageno (the bird catcher) is covered in bird droppings and brought onto the stage an Esky.

Musically it was sumptuous. Conductor Teresa Riveiro Böhm led the orchestra through the glorious overture and beyond.

The Magic Flute – Mozart’s last opera - has lots of memorable tunes. With new leadership at Opera Australia, it was wonderful to see an entirely Australian cast in the leads, with Pamina (Stacey Alleaume), Tamino (Michael Smallwood), and Sarastro (David Parkin) all taking their moments to shine.

Giuseppina Grech had the thrilling Queen of the Night aria, crisply hitting the top F.

Opera is sometimes panned for having too many stories which end with a woman being killed. The Magic Flute  -  a fantasy which includes a dragon, spirits, music spells, trials of fire and water,  darkness, light, love and misadventure is a spectacular antidote to that.

David Spicer

Photographer: Keith Saunders