4 — 5 Sep
Eucalyptus — The Opera
Presented by Brisbane Festival, QPAC and Queensland Symphony Orchestra in association with Victorian Opera, Opera Australia, Opera Queensland and Perth Festival
Stories in the trees. Weave them out of bark and leaves.
Eucalyptus is an ageless story of love and longing, about a daughter and a father – Ellen and Holland. Ellen’s overprotective father has created a safe haven from the world – a forest of eucalypts. But is the forest a sanctuary? Or is Ellen, like Rapunzel, imprisoned? Ellen encounters a Stranger amongst her father’s trees – a storyteller with enchanting tales of far-away lands.
In this dappled landscape lurks both beauty and wonder. The score is mysterious and colourful, with moments of dramatic intensity and hushed beauty. The libretto by Meredith Oakes is poetic and spare.
Jonathan Mills’ new opera is based on the Miles Franklin Award-winning novel Eucalyptus, by Murray Bail. Renowned Australian playwright Michael Gow directs this co-production for Victorian Opera, Opera Australia and the Perth and Brisbane Festivals, with designs by Simone Romaniuk. Desiree Frahn and Simon Meadows create the roles of Ellen and Holland, conducted by Tahu Matheson.
Authors
Composer – Jonathan Mills
Librettist – Meredith Oakes
Novel – Murray Bail
Conductor – Tahu Matheson
Director – Michael Gow
Set and Costume Designer – Simone Romaniuk
Lighting Designer – Trudy Dalgleish
Chorus Master – Carlos Del Cueto
Repetiteur – Phillipa Safey
Cover Conductor – Richard Mills
Principal Singers
Ellen – Desiree Frahn
Holland – Simon Meadows
The Stranger – Michael Petruccelli
Cave – Samuel Dundas
Sprunt Sister (Soprano) – Natalie Jones
Sprunt Sister (Mezzo) – Dimity Shepherd
Generously Supported by Phillip Bacon AO and Carol Colburn Grigor CBE
Image by Paul Blackmore
Production Partners
![](/generated/240w-3-2/victorian-opera-logo-png.png?1716506694)
![](/generated/240w-3-2/opera-australia-logo-png.png?1716506694)
Price
Tickets from $69 - $120
Times
Wednesday - 2:00pm
Thursday - 7:00pm
Duration
Approx. 2 hours 20 minutes with Interval
Accessibility
Assistive Listening
Wheelchair Accessible
Dates
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How to get there
Concert Hall, QPAC ›
Cnr Grey and, Melbourne St,
South Brisbane QLD 4101