OTTORINO RESPIGHI The Sleeping Beauty

The Sleeping BeautyOTTORINO RESPIGHI

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The Sleeping Beauty La bella dormente nel bosco

FAIRY TALE OPERA IN THREE ACTS

Composer Ottorino RespighiLibrettist Gian Bistolfi

Based on La belle au bois dormant by Charles Perrault

Creative Team

Victorian Opera presents

The Nightingale Rebecca RashleighThe Cuckoo Shakira Dugan

The Frog / The Spindle Kirilie BlythmanThe Ambassador Michael Lampard

The Blue Fairy Kathryn RadcliffeThe Jester / Mister Dollar Cheque

Timothy ReynoldsThe Green Fairy Juel Riggall

The King Raphael Wong

The Queen / The Cat Dimity ShepherdThe Old Lady / The Duchess Liane Keegan

The Princess Georgia WilkinsonThe Woodcutter Stephen Marsh

The Prince Carlos E. BárcenasA Villager Douglas Kelly

Puppeteers Christian Bagin, Vincent Crowley, Nadine Dimitrievitch,

Kate Fryer, Kaira Hachefa, Stéphane Hisler, Luke Taylor

Orchestra VictoriaConcertmaster Jenny Khafagi

23, 24, 25, 26 February 2021Palais Theatre

Original premiere 13 April 1922, Teatro Odescalchi, RomeDuration 80 minutes, no interval

Sung in Italian with English surtitles

Conductor Phoebe BriggsDirector Nancy Black

Set Designer Morwenna SchenckOriginal Set Design Bluebottle

Costume Designer Mel SerjeantLighting Designer Philip Lethlean

Original Choreographer Michelle Heaven

Revival Choreographer Elizabeth Hill-Cooper

Original Puppet Design and Construction Joe Blanck

Cast

P. 4 Victorian Opera 2021 The Sleeping Beauty

ProductionProduction TeamStage Manager Whitney McNamaraDeputy Stage Manager Andrea CorishPerformance Assistant Stage Manager / Mechanist Tiernan MaclarenHead Mechanist Adam Brunskill Costume Supervisor Mel SerjeantAssistant to Costume Supervisor / Maintenance Amelia Peace

Music StaffPrincipal Repetiteur Tom GriffithsRepetiteur Phillipa Safey

AcknowledgementsVictorian Opera thanks Arts Centre Melbourne, Norwest, System Sound and BAAC Light.

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Victorian Opera 2021 The Sleeping Beauty P. 5

OrchestraConcertmasterJenny Khafagi +

Violin Section Principal Ioana Tache +Principal 2nd Violin Alyssa Conrau*Associate Principal Karla Hanna +Tutti Edwina Kayser + Lynette Rayner + Christine Wang +

Viola Section Principal Jason Bunn*Associate Principal Isabel Morse +

CelloSection Principal Rosanne Hunt +Associate Principal Zoe Wallace +

Double Bass

Section Principal Kylie Davies +

FluteSection Principal Rebecca Johnson +

Oboe Section Principal Rachel Bullen +

ClarinetSection Principal Lloyd Van’t Hoff +

Bassoon Section Principal Lyndon Watts +

Horn Section Principal Roman Ponomariov +

Trumpet Section Principal Christopher Grace +

TromboneSection Principal Robert Collins +

PercussionSection Principal Scott Weatherson +

Piano / KeyboardTom Griffiths ≠

* Acting § On Leave + Guest Musician++ Guest Principal+++ Guest Associate Principal≠ Courtesy of Victorian Opera

For a full list of Orchestra Victoria’s musicians, please click here

https://www.victorianopera.com.au/images/uploads/2021-season/Orchestra-Victoria-Musicians-list-2021.pdf


Director’s NoteSince our earliest beginnings, humankind has told stories through image and language to clarify our ever-fracturing world. We hunger for answers. What has happened? Why? Who was involved? What should we do? And the future? Religions, too, can be viewed as responses to our need to understand.

Fairy tales, from every culture, contribute enormously to this literature, but differ from fables and religious texts in that they don’t express a moral or explore real events. Instead, they present scenarios involving magic, inexplicable events, love, success and failure, and the struggle between good and evil. It’s a mistake to think of them as only children’s stories. Ottorino Respighi did not.

When he composed La bella dormente nel bosco in 1921, Italy was slowly recovering from the devastation wrought by World War I and the Spanish Flu. He and librettist Gian Bistolfi took this ancient tale – whose best-known form is by the Brothers Grimm – and made an opera about catastrophe, loss, grief, hope, resilience and love. It was a call to a better future. Its simplest outline: as a community rejoices, it is told of an impending catastrophe. They try everything to prevent it, and fail. The grief is terrible. They are urged to

hope – that all is not lost, but first they must go into lockdown. Years later, a new energy, injected by a kiss, releases them, and they find themselves in a whole new world, to which they begin to adapt. Their joy returns.

One hundred years later, the parallels with 2021 are remarkable.

Respighi wrote this for the puppet theatre Teatro dei Piccoli in Naples. The puppets were marionnettes, and the singers were in the orchestra pit. I decided to keep the singers onstage as a suffering community who use puppets to tell themselves a story that unfolds in a parallel universe. It begins wistfully, then gathers energy from the oppositions he sets up between dark and light, tenderness and rage, grief and humour. It’s a remarkable piece, and I am privileged to work with a remarkable team. It’s our first real step out of lockdown. We hope you share our joy!

NANCY BLACK Director


Conductor’s NoteRespighi described his score of La bella dormente nel bosco as an ‘innocent mockery of contemporary melodrama’. From the opening lush and sultry landscape of the Nightingale and Cuckoo the beautiful score leaps joyfully and humorously to life with a rich variety of orchestral colours and musical styles. Respighi clearly defines his characters musically, shifting effortlessly from the sublime to the silly for the Frog scene (complete with raganella or cog whistle to represent the frogs) and then into the lyrical landscape of the fairytale kingdom.

The neoclassical score is full of inspiration from other composers, such as Wagner (the King’s march), Schubert (Gretchen am Spinnrade’s mesmeric semiquaver passage for the Old Lady’s spinning wheel), Debussy (Mister Dollar Cheque’s Cake Walk) and Puccini (Mimì’s death chords are used as the Princess falls asleep after pricking her finger on the spindle). These musical nods to other composers, rather than being direct quotes, are used to extend dramatic thought and to perhaps trigger recall of specific moments from other works.

The process from the first days of improvisation and workshopping of ideas by the puppeteers to the fine tuning of each movement of a puppet’s face or

body as they respond to the music, the singers’ voices and the meaning of the text has been fascinating to witness. The sheer joy, humour and pathos that these extraordinary puppets bring to the production heighten each moment of the music and add to the depth of the emotional journey of the characters.

How wonderful to be able to revisit this joyful work after the collective experience that was 2020.

PHOEBE BRIGGS Conductor


SynopsisAct 1The year is 1620. The Nightingale’s song competes with the Cuckoo’s, disturbed by a group of dancing Frogs. The Royal Ambassador and a Herald arrive to announce the birth of the Princess, inviting the Fairies to be godmothers of the child. The Court Jester tries to entertain the baby Princess. The King and Queen arrive, accompanied by the Fairies and Royal guests. The ceremony is interrupted by the arrival of the Green Fairy. In a fit of rage at being excluded from the festivities, she declares that at age 20 the Princess will prick her finger on a spindle and fall asleep forever. After the Green Fairy leaves, the King orders all spindles be destroyed.

Act 2Twenty years later, an old woman spins with the last remaining spindle. When she leaves the room the Princess comes in and greets a suspicious Cat who introduces her to the spindle. The old woman returns and when urged by the Princess, teaches her how to spin. The Green Fairy’s prophecy comes true when the spindle pricks the Princess’ finger and she falls asleep. The Doctors tell the King that they don’t know the cause of the Princess’ illness. Shortly after, a procession of mourners enters.

The Blue Fairy casts a spell of sleep over the Castle, predicting that the Princess will one day be woken by the kiss of April. A group of humming Spiders wrap the castle in their silvery web.

Act 3It is the 21st Century. In the woods near the castle, a Woodcutter sings. Prince April enters accompanied by a Duchess and a rich American, Mister Dollar Cheque. The Prince is fascinated by the tale of the Sleeping Beauty as told by the Woodcutter. Jealous, the Duchess is consoled by Mister Dollar Cheque who offers to buy the Sleeping Beauty. The Prince leaves his horse and journeys to the castle. In the hall where the Princess lies, the Prince greets the motionless courtiers. A large spider attempts to trap him in its web, but the Prince defeats it. He sees the Sleeping Beauty and his kiss awakens her. They sing a love duet. The Blue Fairy appears and blesses the happy couple.

Rehearsal RoomNadine Dimitrievitch


Creative Team

Phoebe BriggsConductor

BMus (University of Melbourne). Opera Australia music staff 2002 – 2012, Head of Music at Victorian Opera since October 2012. For Victorian Opera, Phoebe has conducted Sunday in the Park with George, Play of Herod, Sweeney Todd, Cendrillon, Four Saints in Three Acts (Green Room nomination), The Sleeping Beauty (Green Room nomination), Lorelei, Black Rider (Helpmann nomination, VO/Malthouse), A Little Night Music. Other companies: Opera in the Paddock (Opera Northwest), assistant/cover conductor Don Pasquale (IFAC/OA, Tokyo), The Magic Flute, Merry Widow, Fledermaus, The Pearlfishers, Così fan tutte, A Little Night Music, The Mikado (OA), Guys and Dolls (Ambassador Group).

Morwenna is a designer for performance and experimental arts. She has a Bachelor of Production Design from the Victorian College of the Arts. She designs for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s special events program. She has also designed two temporary structures for Punctum Inc, Public Cooling House (2017) and Kultur-All Makaan (2020). She recently designed the installation The Way-The Water-The Walk, exhibited at the Castlemaine Art Museum in 2020. Current design projects in development include Duty of Care (City of Melbourne Test Sites program) and Punctum Inc’s Growing Deep Quiet in collaboration with Royal Botanical Gardens Victoria.

Nancy Black, the Artistic Director of Black Hole Theatre, has created and directed award winning shows, produced festivals, outdoor performances, operas, and ten Puppet Slams. Choosing to work across disciplines, she has collaborated with Australian and international artists, and toured widely. Her work includes: Caravan, Coop, Hutch, Into the Black Hole, 10 Puppet Slams around Victoria and NSW, Les Méduses, Blind, The Book of Revelations, Spin A Yarn, The Last Lighthouse Keeper. For Victorian Opera: What Next? (2012), Master Peter’s Puppet Show, Four Saints in Three Acts (2016), The Sleeping Beauty (2017). For BIFEM 2016: ###Nude Girls Live!!! Nancy Black

Director

Morwenna SchenckSet Designer


Mel SerjeantCostume Designer

Mel is a multi-disciplinary practitioner with an arts career spanning 35 years. Mel’s first arts practice was in dance, working in the Australian commercial dance industry in the 1980s-90s. Expanding her creative practice, she studied Fashion Design at The National Arts School, Sydney Institute of Technology; majoring in fashion history, costume adaptation and textile design. Mel has developed a formidable reputation for bridging the gap between fashion, costume and art that has seen her land diverse and challenging roles within film, live performance and the education sectors. Mel also holds her Masters in Cross-Disciplinary Art & Design from the University of New South Wales. Exhibited and published internationally and throughout Australia, Mel has received numerous highly acclaimed awards for her work.

Joe is a recognised creature designer, director, producer and founder of the Melbourne-based studio, A Blanck Canvas. Passionate about design, construction and fabrication, sculpting and painting, performance, as well as creative integrations with technology, Joe leads the team to deliver end to end large productions, from concept through build to performance.

‘The craft of creature building is evolving rapidly with traditional puppetry techniques being combined with cutting edge technology. It’s a really exciting time to be in the industry to witness its evolution.’

Philip Lethlean designs lighting for projects across Australia, Asia, Europe and America including theatre, opera, dance, circus, puppetry, large cultural events and architecture. Commissions include: Melbourne International Comedy Festival opening and 30th Birthday Celebrations; opening ceremony of the Pacific Games in PNG (2015); Clusters of Light in Sharjah UAE (2014); How to Train Your Dragon for Dreamworks/Global Creatures (2012); White Night Melbourne (2013/2014); the Australian Pavilion at Expo Shanghai and the opening of Hamer Hall (2012). Theatre works include the English National Ballet, The Australian Opera, MTC, Circus Oz and Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd and The Sleeping Beauty for Victorian Opera.

Philip LethleanLighting Designer

Joe BlanckOriginal Puppet Design and Construction


Cast

Shakira DuganThe Cuckoo

Shakira made her operatic debut with Victorian Opera singing Hansel (Hansel and Gretel) in 2017. In 2019, her roles included Flower Maiden and Squire (Parsifal), soloist (Alice Through The Looking Glass) and Heroic Bel Canto concert for Victorian Opera. She debuted internationally singing Cherubino (Le Nozze di Figaro) for the Australian International Opera Company’s tour of China. Other career highlights include Watkin Wombat (The Magic Pudding – The Opera), Octavian (Der Rosenkavalier), The Little Sweep, Little Joe (Brundibar), Theresa II (Four Saints in Three Acts), Smeton (Anna Bolea). In 2021 Shakira will perform The Cuckoo (The Sleeping Beauty) and the title role in Cassandra.

Rebecca is one of Australia’s up and coming sopranos. She has performed with Opera Australia, Victorian Opera and Melbourne Opera in roles such as Marzelline (Fidelio), Susanna (Le Nozze di Figaro), Yvonne (Jonny spielt auf), Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Liu (Turandot), Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi), Sofia (Il Signore Bruschino) and Poppea (L’incoronazione di Poppea). Rebecca has received several awards such as The More Than Opera Development Grant from The German Australian Opera Grant, The Boroondara Eisteddfod Aria and during her time with Opera Scholars Australia, Rebecca was awarded Opera Scholar of the Year. In 2018 Rebecca was the winner of the prestigious Herald Sun Aria. Rebecca Rashleigh

The Nightingale

Kirilie BlythmanThe Frog / The Spindle

Kirilie holds a Bachelor of Music Performance and a Master of Music (Opera Performance) from the University of Melbourne. Her roles for Victorian Opera include Cinderella (Cinderella, Massenet), Annina (La Traviata, Verdi), Mother (Hansel and Gretel, Humperdinck), Princess (Puss in Boots, Montsalvatge), Narrator (The Magic Pudding – The Opera, Bowman), Mrs Segstrom (A Little Night Music, Sondheim), The Frog / The Spindle (The Sleeping Beauty, Respighi). Kirilie received a Green Room award for her work on The Magic Pudding. Kirilie has also performed the Australian National Anthem at the MCG and Adelaide Oval as part of the Cricket Australia Commonwealth Test Series.


At only twenty-one years of age, Michael was a finalist in Placido Domingo’s international Operalia competition. His past performances for Victorian Opera include Dr. Kanzler in The Princess and The Pea and The King in the previous 2017 season of The Sleeping Beauty. He made his debut for Opera Australia as Schaunard in the 2019 Sydney season of La bohème. Other roles have included Guglielmo in Cosi Fan Tutte for the Rome Opera Festival and Biterolf in Tannhauser, Morales in Carmen, Zurga in The Pearlfishers, Killian in Der Freischütz and Kurwenal in Tristan and Isolde all for Melbourne Opera. Michael Lampard

The Ambassador

A versatile performer, Timothy appears as an opera and concert artist, regularly appearing with some of Australia’s finest ensembles. In Europe he understudied roles at Oper Stuttgart, performed with Opera Holland Park, Hampstead Garden Opera, The Gesualdo Consort Amsterdam, The Bach Akademie Stuttgart, Philharmonischer Chor Esslingen, and at the Edinburgh Fringe. In Australia, he has performed with Victorian Opera, Pinchgut Opera, Opera Australia, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Ludovico’s Band, the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra, the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic, the Omega Ensemble, La Compania, and the Melbourne Bach Choir. This year, Timothy joins the Adelaide Baroque Orchestra, and Victorian Opera for The Sleeping Beauty and Voss.

Winner of the 2014 Herald-Sun Aria, Melbourne-based soprano Kathryn Radcliffe has recently made several important débuts - Delia in Il viaggio a Reims for Opera Australia, The Queen in The Princess and the Pea for Victorian Opera and as Frasquita in Carmen for the Tasmanian Symphony. In 2021, she sings Leila in Victorian Opera’s production of The Pearl Fishers. For Victorian Opera, she also performs The Blue Fairy in Respighi’s The Sleeping Beauty and Echo in Kevin March’s new opera Echo and Narcissus. She made her Vienna debut in a small role in The Cunning Little Vixen. Kathryn Radcliffe

The Blue Fairy

Timothy ReynoldsThe Jester / Mister Dollar Cheque


Cast

Raphael WongThe King

Raphael is ecstatic to return to the role of Il Re in Victorian Opera’s The Sleeping Beauty in 2021. Like many in the arts industry, Raphael was affected by the theatre closures and workplace lockdowns of 2020. Raphael is so grateful for the support of his wife, and Victorian Opera through this terribly difficult time, and would also like to thank you, the audience, for booking tickets and doing your bit to keep the arts industry alive in 2021. Raphael is a proud member of the MEAA.

Juel’s past appearances for Victorian Opera include the role of Mrs Anderssen in A Little Night Music, the Flower Maiden in Parsifal, Annina in La Traviata, Turnspit in Rusalka, Eriphyle in Daphnis & Chloe, the Dew Fairy in Hansel and Gretel and previous performances as The Green Fairy in The Sleeping Beauty in 2017. She also performed the role of Madame de la Haltière in Victorian Opera’s livestreamed education production of Cendrillon during 2020. Other roles include Flora in La Traviata for Melbourne Opera and appearances as soloist in the company’s gala opera concert tours of China and Singapore.Juel Riggall

The Green Fairy

Dimity ShepherdThe Queen / The Cat

Dimity’s appearances for Victorian Opera include Green Room Award winning performances in Lorelei, Cherubino in Marriage of Figaro, Orphee in Orphee et Eurydice, Alice in Through the Looking Glass, Arsamene in Xerxes, Nireno in Julius Caesar, Flora in Traviata, Beggar Woman in Sweeney Todd, Helpmann and Green Room Award nominated Lucy in Threepenny Opera, Clara in Midnight Son, roles in Banquet of Secrets, The Riders, Nixon in China and Sunday in the Park with George. Other roles have included Cherubino, Carmen and Rosina in The Barber of Seville for Opera Australia, roles for Opera Queensland and Chamber Made Opera, Kätchen in The Black Rider for Victorian Opera/The Malthouse and the title role in The Ghost Wife at the Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney and London’s BITE02 festivals.


Born in Australia, Liane is a specialist in the works of Mahler and is a regular soloist with MSO in concert and oratorio repertoire. Her extensive career has been divided between leading roles in Australia and Europe. She has performed for Victorian Opera (Pelleas and Melisande, William Tell, The Flying Dutchman); SOSA (Erda, First Norn and Waltraute: Der Ring Des Nibelungen, Azucena: Il Trovatore); OA (Erda: Der Ring Des Nibelungen, Ulrica: Un ballo in Maschera); ENO (First Norn: The Twilight of the Gods); Theater Hagen (Klytämnestra: Elektra, Mistress Quickly: Falstaff) and Deutsche Oper Berlin (Anna: Les Troyens, Emilia: Otello, Marcellina: Le Nozze Di Figaro, Siegrune: Die Walküre).Liane Keegan

The Old Lady / The Duchess

Stephen Marsh is a 29-year-old baritone from Geelong, Victoria currently under the tutelage of renowned baritone Roger Howell. Stephen was a member of the Melba Opera Trust for both 2018 and 2019. As well as working professionally with Victorian Opera since 2017, Stephen is the inaugural recipient of Victorian Opera’s Michael Stubbs and Malcom Roberts Opera Prize for 2021. He is also an Associate of Melbourne Opera’s Richard Divall Emerging Artist Programme. This year, as well as reprising the role of The Woodcutter in Respighi’s The Sleeping Beauty, Stephen will be making his role debut of Zurga in Victorian Opera’s production of Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers and Marcello in La bohème in Switzerland.

Winner of the 2019 Herald Sun Aria Competition, Georgia Wilkinson is making her mark on the operatic stage. Georgia has studied in Italy, Germany, the UK and the US. Georgia made her professional debut as Sophie (MasterClass), receiving rave reviews. Her international debut was at the Weimar Lyric Opera, Germany singing Pamina (Die Zauberflöte). Career highlights include the title role in Alice Through the Opera Glass (Victorian Opera), Gertrude Opera’s 2019 Young Artist and performances of Jekyll and Hyde. In 2021 Georgia is singing the title role in Victorian Opera’s award winning production of The Sleeping Beauty and the role of Lisette (La Rondine, Australian National Opera).Georgia Wilkinson

The Princess

Stephen MarshThe Woodcutter


Cast

Douglas KellyA Villager

Douglas Kelly is a tenor who has extensive experience in opera, oratorio and as a recitalist. Douglas has been a young artist at Victorian Opera as well as being awarded winner at the National Liederfest in 2019. As an opera performer Douglas has performed roles including; Basilio in Mozart’s Le Nozze Di Figaro, Sellem in Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress, Anfinomo and Eurimaco in Pinchgut Opera’s production of Monteverdi’s Il Ritorno D’Ulisse In Patria. As an art song recitalist he has performed at the Melbourne Recital Centre and in Baden Bei Wien Austria, as a part of the Schubert Institute.

Colombian-born tenor with a Bachelor of Music Performance and a Master of Music (Opera Performance) from the University of Melbourne. His roles have included Alexander (Il Re Pastore, Mozart) Michael (Pecan Summer, Cheetham), Tony (Masterclass, McNally), Arnoldo (Guillaume Tell, Rossini), Elvino (La Sonnambula, Donizetti), Tebaldo (I Capuleti e I Montecchi, Bellini), Edgardo (Lucia di Lammermoor, Donizetti), Steuermann (The Flying Dutchman, Wagner) and Maese Pedro (Master Peter’s Puppet Show, de Falla). Carlos will be reprising the role Prince April in this production of The Sleeping Beauty.Carlos received a Green Room award for Steuermann (The Flying Dutchman). Carlos E. Bárcenas

The Prince

Christian BaginPuppeteer

Christian is a physical theatre performer, clown, and puppeteer. He has co-devised many of the productions in which he has performed, and has worked with several independent theatre companies including Polyglot, Make A Scene, Company13, Spindly Figures, Lemony S, Black Hole Theatre, Bunk Puppets and Victorian Opera.


Having trained as an actor Vincent has spent much of his performance career working in Dance Theatre and Physical Theatre. He has worked in Australia, the US and Europe with companies and artists such as Meryl Tankard’s Australian Dance Theatre, TanzTheater Basel, Salzburger Festwochen, Schauspiel Köln, Chunky Move, Force Majeur and the Warner Brothers movie Where the Wild Things Are. He is a founding member of both Splinter Group and Torque Show and has co-created a number of theatre works with these companies including Lawn, the recipient of multiple Green Room Awards, and Intimacy, winner of the Australian Dance award for Outstanding Achievement in Independent Dance.Vincent Crowley

Puppeteer

Kate has been a performer, director, teacher and writer of circus and physical theatre for 20 years. Combining storytelling and physical mayhem she has travelled the globe performing at street festivals, major events and in some of the world’s most prestigious theatres. She is a founding member and Artistic Director of Dislocate’s Theatre Program and has worked with Circus Oz, Victorian Opera, MSO, QTC, Legs on The Wall, Strut & Fret, Rock n Roll Circus, Circa, Olympic and Commonwealth Games Cultural Programs and Festivals worldwide. She has created circus acts, ensemble productions and curated parades in Australia, Europe and Asia.

Nadine DimitrievitchPuppeteer

Kate FryerPuppeteer

Nadine Dimitrievitch is a multidisciplinary performer, director and teacher based in Melbourne. Nadine graduated from Swinburne University with a Diploma of Theatre Arts (2007) and completed the professional course at the prestigious L’École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq, Paris (2012). She also completed her Masters of Dance at the Victorian College of the Arts (2017) investigating choreographic process and storytelling. Nadine founded the physical theatre company Bone Marrow Theatre, producing several physical theatre pieces including Exodus (2013 Melbourne Fringe), La Peste (2014) and Tales from Ovid (2015). Nadine facilitates physical theatre and movement workshops and has taught at various institutions such as the Victorian College of the Arts, the National Institute of Circus Arts and BoilOver Inclusive Theatre.


Cast

Stéphane is a multi-disciplinary French/ Australian performing artist based in Melbourne. For the last 10 years, Stéphane has been an integral part of Snuff Puppets - working closely with the anarchic giant puppet company that has reached millions of people worldwide. He has been working as a puppeteer for A Blank Canvas, Caroline Packham, Sanctum Theatre, Memetica and Nick Wilson. Beside choreographing his own work, Stéphane has danced for numerous dance companies and choreographers in Europe including Sasha Waltz & Guests, Fearghus O Conchuir, Daghdha Dance Company, Rex Levitates, Tomi Paasonen, Les Gens D’ Uterpan, Serge Ricci, David Hernandez, Joanne Leighton and Michele Noiret.

French born Kaira Hachefa is a singer, butoh dancer, puppeteer and theatre maker. She is the founder of Compagnie Articulate, a bi-lingual puppet theatre company created in 2009. She’s performed nationally and internationally in Europe, America and Asia. Her last solo show Variations sur le même thème was an experimental work combining puppetry and butoh which has since been an area of experimentation for her work. Kaira has also performed with the Environmental Performance Authority (Melbourne) and companies such as IHOs Opera laboratory (Australia), Black Hole Theatre and Barking spider theatre company. Kaira is currently working on the development of The Amazing Adventure of Konstantin written by Alison Richards and is directing Behind the seams her latest piece to be shown in 2022.

Luke Taylor is an acrobat, juggler and clown who joined the Flying Fruit Fly Circus when he was 12 and hasn’t left the circus since. Luke continued his circus training at NICA and then joined Circus Oz where he travelled the world for the next 7 years. He co-founded his own show called Caravan, which appeared at many festivals. He has worked with Dislocate for 6 years and also performed with the Chipolatas, Circa, Victorian Opera, and many small companies. He owes his sense of humor to his parents and he enjoys a vegemite and cheese sandwich from time to time. Thanks to anyone who read this to the end xx

Kaira HachefaPuppeteer

Stéphane HislerPuppeteer

Luke TaylorPuppeteer

Rehearsal Room


Reimagining the potential of opera and musical theatre, for everyone

Victorian Opera is the state opera company of Victoria. We make creative, accessible and affordable work for everyone while adventurously evolving our art form.

Since the company was founded in October 2005, Victorian Opera has entertained hundreds of thousands of people with our imaginative approach to opera and musical theatre. Each year, we premiere at least one new Australian opera and have commissioned 32 new works since our formation.

We employ hundreds of people across the creative industries, recruit some of the finest local singers, and collaborate with Australia’s leading companies, venues and learning institutions.

The next generation of talent is developed from the ground up through the Victorian Opera Youth Chorus Ensemble (VOYCE) and our innovative Access All Areas: Livestream Program.

We also stage opera in Tasmania biennially to share the joy of our art form even further.

Recognised for our unique contribution to the country’s operatic landscape, Victorian Opera proudly became an

Australian Major Performing Arts company in 2019. In 2021 we will transition to the newly formed National Performing Arts Partnership Program.

As the world went into lockdown, we got to work; sharing our passion far and wide with a range of web series and online performances. Returning home to the stage, we embrace the new normal and will continue to perform in Victoria’s finest theatres and concert halls to give our audiences the best possible and safest experience.

Be it live or online, Victorian Opera is here to inspire you.

@VictorianOpera #VictorianOpera

About Us

Photography: Charlie Kinross pp. 2, 4, 9, 19Cover illustration: Hipworth


Founding Music DirectorThe late Richard Gill AO

Victorian Opera BoardChairman Genevieve OverellRoger Box, Vivienne Corcoran, Richard Kurth, Siobhan Lenihan, Selina Lightfoot, Stephen McIntyre, Grant Powell, Patricia Stebbens, Oshadee Siyaguna (Board Observer), Anna Pitt (Board Observer)

ExecutiveArtistic Director Dr Richard Mills AMChief Executive Officer Elizabeth Hill-CooperHead of Finance and Corporate Services Stephen Sweeney

Artistic, Engagement & ProductionHead of Production Damion HollingEducation Manager Ioanna SalmanidisHead of Music Phoebe BriggsRepetiteur Phillipa SafeyCompany Manager Luke HalesAssistant Company Manager Hannah BullenProduction Manager Eduard InglésDeputy Production Manager Peter DarbyProduction and Music Coordinator Carlos E. BárcenasVOYCE Director Angus Grant

Finance & Corporate ServicesCRM and Ticketing Manager Nichole O’DuffyFinance Assistant Claire VoumardIT and Operations Coordinator Peter Darby

MarketingMarketing Content Producer Beata BowesMedia and Communications Executive Scott WhinfieldGraphic Designer Sharni Morter

DevelopmentHead of Development Louise O’LoughlinPhilanthropy Executive Peter GarnickDevelopment Coordinator Rhylla MitchellOffice Administrator Silvana Vaxelaire

Season StaffSurtitle Operator Timothy MallisMechanists Emily Campbell, William Campbell, Dean Krober, Nick Williams, Georgina WolfeWardrobe Amelia Peace, Nicole SerjeantCostume Maker Merideth ClementsDresser Carla NotoWardrobe Work Placement Emma TutkoLighting Evan Anderson, Jon Bargen, Harrison Cope, Nathan Gummow, Julia Knibbs, Darcy Smith

Our Team


Patron-In-ChiefThe Hon. Linda Dessau AC, Governor of Victoria

Founding BenefactorsThe Late Dame Elisabeth Murdoch ACLady Potter AC

Leadership Syndicate ($40,000+)Jane HemstritchHans & Petra HenkellDr Michael Stubbs & Malcolm Roberts

Artistic Director’s Circle ($10,000+)Carolyn & Stephen CoffeyJohn & Diana FrewGreig Gailey & the late Geraldine LazarusElizabeth Hill-CooperSuzanne KirkhamPeter & Anne LaverMercer Family FoundationRichard Mills AMJoy Selby SmithNigel Simpson & Madeleine Coulombe in Memory of Joseph H. CoulombeProf Barbara van Ernst AMDr John & Mrs Elizabeth Wright-Smith

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Silver Patrons ($1,000+)Dr Zita BallokLaurie Bebbington & Elizabeth O’KeeffePhilip Benjamin & Sandy Benjamin OAMNancy BomfordBox FamilyStuart BrownSusan BrownriggThe Hon David ByrneElise CallenderJennifer CookBeatrice & Richard DonkinDr M Elizabeth DouglasThe Late Dr Helen M FergusonBill Fleming Brian GoddardMurray Gordon & Lisa NortonNance Grant AM MBE & Ian HarrisLuke HalesJohn L Harrison & David J WrightHartmut & Ruth HofmannDamion HollingAnne HoulihanSimon L Jackson & Brian WarburtonDavid JosephAngela Kayser The Hon Rod Kemp & Mrs Daniele KempPat & Alun KenwoodAngela & Richard KirsnerJohn Landy AC & Lynne LandyDr Anne LierseSelina LightfootIan & Judi MarshmanGraham McCallum & Mary KehoeGillian MontgomeryIsobel Morgan OAMGreg Noonan

Thank You


Elspeth & Brian NoxonJillian Pappas & George Pappas AOHelen PatonJane Patrick & Robert EvansCampbell & Christine PenfoldProf Michael Quinn AM & Prof Susan CarrJohn RickardKay RoddaAubrey SchraderPhillip & Sue SchudmakJohn & Thea ScottBernadette Slater & Charles EdmondsJohn E SmithMichael Smith & Sonia FuentesecaSparky FoundationPatricia StebbensJames SymeAndrea TappeCaroline & Richard Travers OAMChris & Helen TruemanNeil TwistProf. Belinda TynanRussell Waters & Marissa Barter-WatersIan Watts OAMRev Noel WhaleDiana & Robert Wilson Secret Admirers (5)

Bronze Patrons ($500+)Seonaid AlexanderProf Dennis Altman AMJenny AndersonLesley BawdenInes & Dr Donald BehrendKirsty A BennettCheryl R BensonDavid Bernshaw & Caroline IsakowStephen & Maura BestMs Shirley BreeseDr Sylvia CardaleMal CarterVivienne CorcoranIan Dallas & Judith HallSusan DonathMargaret FlatmanDennis FreemanAlan GuntherJohn HaaszDr Janet HillerEduard Ingles & Kate FryerDr Irene Irvine & Prof. Iain WallaceJoan JankaJack & Marie KirszenblatEvelyn Kolar

Dr Shirley LanningDr Kathy LasterJoan Lefroy AM & George Lefroy AMPaul & Glenys LejinsSiobhan LenihanDr Justus LewisDr Carlson LokeDr Kristina & Bruce MacraeIan Manning & Alice De JongeMonita Mascitti-Meuter & Paul MascittiChristopher McCabeJocelyn & Andrew McLeishDouglas & Rosemary MeagherBeverley MiddletonSusan MountfordAnne T MyersJill Page OAM & Roy PageLyn PayneGreg J Reinhardt AMHarold & Elspeth RiggallMichael Riordan & Geoff BushLibby Smith & John MiddletonDouglas Savige & Diane MosleyBruce Sims & Peter RongeDr Rosalynd SmithLady Southey ACJulia Stoppa & Daniel BogemannChristine StottTeresa TjiaCatherine Walter AMIn memory of Helen RobertsonThe late Ken & Merle MorrisSecret Admirers (9)

BequestorsJenny AndersonGraeme Bawden & Len de KievitLesley BawdenFrank & Danielle ChamberlinDr Garry Joslin & Prof. Dimity Reed AMJane KunstlerRichard Laslett & Colin GuntherGregory J Reinhardt AMTony Wildman & Robert GibbsSecret Admirers (6)

If you are interested in becoming a Victorian Opera Patron, or having a confidential discussion about leaving a gift to Victorian Opera in your Will, please contact Louise O’Loughlin, Development Manager on (03) 9001 6405 or email [email protected]

Current at time of printing.


Orchestra VictoriaManagementExecutive Director Sara Pheasant Artistic Director Nicolette Fraillon AMHead of Operations and Planning Nathan SmithOrchestra Manager Harriette BlandenArtistic Planning and Engagement Manager Elise LerpiniereOrchestra Technicians Joshua Bridges, Rory WilsonOrchestra Coordinator Nathaniel CurrieAssistant Orchestra Manager Jessica HortOrchestra Librarian Glynn DaviesOrchestra Accountant Isabel Pena

With assistance from staff of The Australian BalletMarketing Coordinator Keshia ContiniExternal Relations Account Manager Fiona GosschalkPublicist Sophie RennardExternal Relations Grants Manager Kate Horwood

BoardLibby Christie AMSally UnderwoodDavid Halberg

The Hamilton and Western District FundEndowed by the Geoff and Helen Handbury FoundationThe Richard Bonynge FellowshipGenerously Supported by Lady Potter AC CMRIGeneral SupportThe Judith & Alasdair McCallum FundLesley & Bob Qualtrough BequestSupport from Trusts and FoundationsBesen Family FoundationThe William Buckland FoundationHamer Family FoundationThe Robert Salzer FoundationEstatesThe Estate of Mrs Neilma Baillieu Gantner

Planned GivingG C Bawden & L de KievitLesley M BawdenCusack-Muller BequestCanny Quine Foundation

Musical ChairsPrincipal Gifts of $10,000Mr Robert Albert AO RFD RD & Mrs Elizabeth AlbertSection Principal HornSusan and Leith CampbellSection Principal ViolinMr Jim Cousins AO & Mrs Libby Cousins with Igor & Jenny ZambelliSection Principal TimpaniPeter Griffin AM & Terry SwannSection Principal FluteMs Linda HerdPrincipal Cor AnglaisDon & Angela MercerSection Principal Double Bass Lady Southey ACSection Principal Cello

Tutti Gifts of $5,000Mr Andrew Fairley AMTutti Violin

Annual GivingThe Conductor’s PodiumGifts $35,000 and overMr Robert Albert AO RFD RD & Mrs Elizabeth AlbertLeader CircleGifts $10,000-$34,999Ms Linda Herd, Don & Angela Mercer, Mrs Margaret S Ross AM, Lady Southey ACPerformer PatronsGifts $5,000-$9,999G C Bawden & L de Kievit in memory of Richard Gill AO, Gaye & John Gaylard, Mr Richard Guy OAM & Ms Claire Guy, Hans & Petra Henkell, Dr Alastair Jackson AM, Judith & Alasdair McCallum, Jan & Keith RichardsPatronsGifts $1,000-$4,999David & Cindy Abbey, Matthew & Joanne Angus, Bernadette Beattie & the late George Waters, Eva Besen AO & Marc Besen AC, Caroline & Stephen Brain, Beth Brown & Tom Bruce, G Croft, Jane Edmanson OAM, Ed & Marj Eshuys, Valerie & Ian Guthrie, Louis J Hamon OAM, Peter & Carmel Johnson, David McAllister AM, Michelle & Ian Moore, Marie Morton FRSA, Professor David G Penington, Kerryn Pratchett, Judith RobinsonLibby Smith, P & J Spark, Bruce & Leona Sterling, Dr Victor Wayne & Dr Karen Wayne OAM, Anonymous (1)SupportersGifts $100-$999(22)

Current at the time of printing

Philanthropy at Orchestra Victoria


Our PartnersWe acknowledge and thank our partners who make our work possibleGovernment Partners

Victorian Opera is assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council,

its arts funding and advisory body.

Victorian Opera is supported by the Victorian Government

through Creative Victoria.

Foundation Partner University Partner Awards

Trusts and Foundations Major Partners

Official Partner Media Partners

Supply Partners Corporate Member

Performance Partners

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With its fresh, new-look magazine, Limelight offers Australia’s best coverage of music, arts and culture through

in-depth, analytical and literary articles.

Subscribe with promo code VO to save an extra 10% on an annual print and digital subscription, normally $88.

Scan and subscribe now or limelight-arts.com.au

Subscribe, save, and support the arts

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Upcoming Events

Ancient myths for modern times. Two timeless tales reimagined by Melbourne creatives in a double bill of new works commissioned as a direct response to the COVID-19 crisis. These prescient myths will foretell and entertain.

Echo and Narcissus / Cassandra17, 19, 20 March Arts Centre Melbourne, Playhouse

Balmy sea breezes carry the perfume of French romanticism. Ten years before Carmen, Bizet composed this classic tale of brotherhood and love in Ceylon. Pack your picnic and dive into a soul-stirring night in the tropics.

The Pearl Fishers23 April Arts Centre Melbourne, Sidney Myer Music Bowl

Did you know that Parrwang the Magpie created the first dawn? This new Australian opera by soprano and composer Deborah Cheetham tells the creation story of sunrise, based on the oral traditions of Wadawurrung Country.

Parrwang Lifts the Sky12 June Arts Centre Melbourne, Playhouse

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OTTORINO RESPIGHI The Sleeping Beauty

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Transcript of OTTORINO RESPIGHI The Sleeping Beauty