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Obsession and Vengeance Melbourne
Athenaeum Theatre
08/23/2026 - & August 26, 28, 30, 2026
Giuseppe Verdi: Il trovatore
Rosario La Spina (Manrico), Helena Dix (Leonora), Sarah Sweeting (Azucena), Christopher Hillier (Count di Luna), Steven Gallop (Ferrando), Amanda Windred (Inez), Josh Erdelyi-Götz (Ruiz), Hartley Trusler (Old Gipsy), Cen Wei (Messenger)
Melbourne Opera Chorus and Orchestra, Raymond Lawrence (Conductor, Chorus Master, Head of Music)
Matthew Barclay (Director), Tom Vulcan (Lighting Design), Jacob Battista (Set Design), Maya Anderson (Costume Design)
A. Windred, R. La Spina, H. Dix, S. Gallop, C. Hillier (© Robin Halls)
To mark the 100th birthday of one of Melbourne Opera (MO)’s beloved founding patrons, Dame Joan Sutherland, the company dedicates this new production of one of her most lauded roles as Leonora in Il Trovatore. First performed in 1853, the opera is one of the three giants from Verdi’s middle‑period composed simultaneously with La Traviata and Rigoletto.
Despite the wealth of memorable music, the intensity of the dramatic situations and the nearly encyclopaedic catalogue of human emotions, the opera has its critics. The convoluted plot, the ‘need‑to‑know’ detailed back‑stories and the complete lack of an explanatory scene leading to the final imprisonment of the titular character all make this a difficult story to tell. Guest director Matthew Barclay brings extensive experience as performer and director locally and internationally. This is his first show for MO and with the others in the creative team, he will doubtlessly be thrilled with the final product. He has sharpened the narrative to emphasise the central elements: obsession, superstition and revenge.
In the shadows of a ruined Spanish theatre, the scene is strewn with sleeping bodies of the Guardia Civil who are at the direction of the brutal Count di Luna. Steven Gallop as Ferrando rouses and inspires them into murderous action with his tale of the death of an infant and the subsequent burning of the “witch” deemed responsible. He fuels the superstition and with commanding basso, Mr Gallop drives the blood‑lust which will see the Romani people tortured, hounded and persecuted to feed the deadly fixation of the Count.
It is the Count whose mental state is ravaged by hatred and lust for power who promulgates violence and hatred. Christopher Hillier exudes violence and a mania for revenge. Mr Hillier’s stage presence is magnetic; his voice in this role becomes an instrument of threat and terror. His performance holistically portrayed many facets of evil which he exploited to drive the eager willingness of his henchmen to hunt and exterminate the Romani people.
As the titular troubadour, Rosario La Spina imbued Manrico with vigour and purpose. His glorious tenor took the enormity of Verdi’s vocal score with seeming ease. No sooner had we been treated to beautifully nuanced declarations of faithfulness and love than we were thrust into the melee of his call to arms with a rendition of “Di quella pira” which literally “stopped the show” bringing the house to raucous acclamation.
Helena Dix returns to MO with a strong reputation as a captivating stage presence through appearances on Australian and international stages. Her powerful soprano is ideal for the role of Leonora with its wide ranging emotions and demanding score. She is joyous in her early declaration of love and exudes steely determination in her resolve to thwart the Count’s demands. As a singing tribute to Joan Sutherland, this is a most fitting offering and one which hopes will lead to many more thrilling interpretations now that Ms Dix has returned to Melbourne.
Rendering a portrait of obsession and frenzied terror, Sarah Sweeting as Azucena is galvanising in one of the most formidable performances of this production. Her voice is enthralling and assured, as she taps into a richly-toned and powerful lower register, plummeting into the baritone range and soaring to dazzling highs as she acts the entire span from sanity to madness. Having achieved her revenge, her demented shrieks in the finale to Act 4, brought gasps of horror from a stunned audience as a fitting tribute to a superb performance.
The minor characters are drawn from MO’s Richard Divall Emerging Artists program and give reason to eagerly await what these younger artists, just starting their singing careers might achieve.
No production of this opera could succeed without the resources of a disciplined and inspired chorus. Maestro Lawrence has recently moved from Chorus Master to Head of Music for MO and has drilled and trained this chorus into an entity which would grace many renowned stages in Australia and internationally. Massively powerful and laser‑like in their precision, the men in particular executed the various numbers with style and agility. They incorporate so much acting into each musical number that it is easy to see why any director would want to maximise their stage time with extra business to expand and illustrate the back story which is so necessary in the staging of Il Trovatore.
Facing the colossal task of bringing Salvatore Cammareno’s sometimes disjointed narrative to life while honouring the rich palette of Verdi’s score is a prospect which could daunt any company. Not so for Melbourne Opera. Without any government subsidy, relying solely on the generosity of patrons and ticket sales, this company manages to fill theatres with as wide a range of ages and backgrounds in an audience as could be imagined. Their artistic achievements alone deserve commendation and patronage. When they produce a show as satisfying and thrilling as this, it comes as a bonus that we come to expect as a norm for all their productions.
Gregory Pritchard
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