In recent years, opera in Sydney has become synonymous with the annual Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour, which has become one of the city’s iconic tourist attractions. With huge budgets, lavish sets and classic scores, these productions have redefined how opera can be performed, especially in an amplified outdoor arena. 

Continuing the trend of ‘opera on the water’ in Sydney, Victorian Opera’s production of Il Tabarro was perhaps even more daring as it was not just set proximate to the water but rather, on an actual ship. As the audience sat on the wharf beside the Australian National Maritime Museum, the performers descended upon the nearby docked Carpentaria, a historic lightship built in 1917 (coincidentally, the same year Puccini finished work on Il Tabarro). The ticketing model was a free ‘general admission’ arrangement which meant that many arrived a few hours before the performance to snag the best seats (audiences were told that the production would mainly be standing room only but there was seating for most). 

Il Tabarro is a relatively short work (spanning just over an hour) but is full of drama, substance and soaring arias. The compactness of the opera meant that the audience could focus completely on the music. This is one of Puccini’s more daring works, taking elements of French impressionist composers such as Debussy to construct the score which provide a slightly different sound to other operas. This allowed for a more subtle construction and performance than some of the more brash works. The cast were superb in their interpretation of this fine work as well with Simon Meadows’ particularly dark portrayal of Michele a standout. The entire cast shone vocally, with James Egglestone’s lyrical tone as Luigi particularly impressive. 

Noting that this was a free show without the budget of other outdoor opera productions, the execution of the concept was largely stellar. However, there were a few practical things that were worth noting. The placement of the surtitles was problematic for most of the audience, who had to crane their necks to the side to see them (and thus, miss the action on stage). The placement of media and VIP seating meant that this was not an issue for a few people however, for the vast majority of the audience, this created somewhat of a conundrum. Additionally, while the use of the ship as the set was novel and innovative, I felt as though more could have been done to take advantage of the beautiful space. The action was largely confined to the centre of the ship (until the end of the show) and it would have been more effective if more of the ship was showcased. 

Overall, this was a very strong production, taking on an innovative concept and delivering it effectively. While some tweaks would make it slightly better in the future, this is definitely different and worth seeing for those looking for something interesting to discover, with its short run-time providing an accessible starting point for those attending opera for the first time. 

Rating: ★★★★

Il Tabarro plays at the Australian National Maritime Museum as part of the Sydney Festival until the 13^th January. For more information and to access a free live-stream of the performance, click here.

Photo credit: Jacquie Manning