TURANDOT - Opera Australia - Sydney Opera House.

 

Richard Anderson (Timur) -Maria Teresa Leva (Liù)  -Gregory Brown (The Emperor)
 - Rebecca Nash (Turandot) -Young Woo Kim (Calaf) in Opera Australia's production of "TURANDOT"

Composer: Giacomo Puccini – Librettists: Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni

Conductor: Henrik Nanasi – Director and Choreographer: Ann Yee

Associate Choreographer: Charmene Yap – Assistant Director: Danielle Mass

Set Designer: Elizabeth Gadsby – Costumes Designer: David Fleischer

Lighting Designer: Paul Jackson – Video Designer: Andrew Thomas Huang

Opera Australia – Joan Sutherland Theatre – S. O.H - Jan.15^th to Mar. 31, 2026.

Performance on January 28^th reviewed by BILL STEPHENS

Hoyori Maruo (Lou-Lang) - Rebecca Nash (Turandot) in "TURANDOT"

Spectacle has always been one of the attractors associated with grand opera, and Puccini’s “Turandot” is certainly among the grandest of grand operas. When Puccini wrote his opera in the 1920’s he set it in China among an opulent world of imperious royalty.

To assist in capturing an oriental atmosphere, he incorporated Chinese melodies and instruments into his score to tell the story of a Persian prince, Calaf, who had set his sights on marrying a Chinese princess, Turandot, who had set a high price for her hand in marriage.

Turandot had decreed that to marry her a suitor must solve three riddles. A wrong answer would result in the suitor’s execution.

Though many suitors had died before him, Calaf passes the test. When Turandot still refuses to marry him, Calaf offers her a way out. If she can guess his name before dawn the next day, he will accept death.

Richard Anderson (Timur) - Maria Teresa Leva ( Liù) - Hoyori Maruo (Lou-Ling)
  Rebecca Nash (Turandot) in Opera Australia's "TURANDOT" 

For her new production for Opera Australia and the Opera Conference, Director, Ann Yee has eschewed lavish oriental trappings in favour of a stark dystopian world. To explain Turandot’s marital reluctance, Yee focusses on Turandot’s Act 2 story of her ancestress, Lou-Ling, who was raped and murdered.

Yee begins her production by introducing Lou-Ling, a character normally not seen, but in this production portrayed by dancer, Hoyori Maruo, costumed in vivid peacock blue, who silently throws herself around the stage, in an unsettling depiction of Lou-Ling’s fate.

When Lou-Ling’s dance ends, a black substance flows from her mouth. Turandot comforts her and they both exit the stage as the overture begins.

The significance of the colour of Lou-Ling’s costume is important in this production, because although it re-occurs in the children’s chorus costumes, in the costumes of some of the courtiers and those of eight masked Yeti who for some reason surround Turandot at one point, it is the only other colour, featured in David Fleischer’s costumes.

Apart from Turandot who wears all-over black relieved by some sparkles scattered around the hem, the rest of the characters, including Calaf, are costumed in variations of drab earthen colours, relying on texture for interest, with almost all costumes dipped in black, perhaps suggesting creeping decay.

Luke Gabbedy (P1-Ping) - John Longmuir (P2-Pong) - Michael Petruccelli (P3-Pang) in "TURANDOT"

Most surprisingly, P1 -Ping, P2 -Pong, and P3 -Pang are dressed in contemporary clothing and inhabit what appears to be individual modern shop fronts.

Elizabeth Gadsby’s blocky setting is similarly colourless, with the same creeping decay treatment as the costumes. A huge video depiction of Turandot enlivens some of the scenes, but it eventually overstays its welcome mainly because its wandering eyes become a distraction.

The Opera Australia Children's Chorus and Opera Australia Chorus in "TURANDOT". 

Despite the drabness of the costuming, there are moments of spectacle. Yee’s resourceful use of a large revolve to create visual interest with the huge ensemble, her embrace of the lighting skills of Paul Jackson to embellish her beautiful tableaus with colour washes, and the utilisation of her choreographic skills to create memorable moments such as when the children’s chorus gently manipulate white globes.

The real glory of this production is the music and the singing, which is sensational. Yee’s use of stillness wisely focussed the attention on these aspects.

Rebecca Nash (Turandot) - Young Woo Kim (Calaf) in TURANDOT. 

Both Rebecca Nash, wonderfully imperious as Turandot, and Young Woo Kim, every inch a dashing Prince Calaf, are simply stunning. Both possess sensational voices which effortlessly cut through the Opera Australia orchestra and chorus to fill the Joan Sutherland Theatre with thrilling sound.

Neither are great actors. They don’t need to be. Puccini has provided them with everything they need to deliver sensational performances, without any need to resort to histrionics. For the most part, both singers simply stand and deliver, with very little indication of any real emotional connection between their characters.

As both showed so little emotion at the suicide of the faithful handmaiden Liù, gorgeously portrayed by Maria Teresa Leva, luminous despite her extraordinarily dowdy costume, it was difficult to believe that Turandot would so easily submit to Calaf. Both sing about love, but the impression given was that they were really arguing power.

Young Woo King prepares to sing "Nessun Dorma" in "TURANDOT"

Given that the printed program urged the audience to listen out for the big hit “Nessun Dorma” described as probably the most famous aria ever written, it seemed a pity that conductor, Henrik Nanasi, chose to revert to Puccini’s original markings, rather than the popular sustained “Vincero !” made famous by Pavarotti and now favoured by most tenors.

The opportunity to hear this aria sung by a tenor as accomplished as Young Woo Kim would certainly have been an attractor for many of the audience. As it was, Nanasi cut the applause and moved quickly on to the entrance of P1-Ping, P2-Pong and P3-Pang, leaving many in the audience confused and disappointed.

Richard Anderson (Timur) - Maria Teresa Leva (Liù)- Young Woo Kim (Calaf) in "TURANDOT"

It will be interesting to experience the audience reaction when Diego Torre assumes the role of Calaf later this month, following his magnificent rendition of the Pavarotti version of “Nessun Dorma” which thrilled millions during the recent televised Australia Day concert.

At this performance Simon Meadows replaced Luke Gabbedy in the role P1-Ping, with John Longmuir as P2-Pong and Michael Petrucceli asP3-Pang. Richard Anderson portrayed Timur, Shane Lowrencev was The Speaker and Gregory Brown was the emperor. All fulfilled these roles with distinction.

Yee’s dystopian vision for this opera certainly challenges its audiences to consider a different view. Opera devotees will no doubt relish this challenge. But for those for whom visual lavishness as an important element of an opera experience is a treat to be savoured, this version may prove daunting.




                                                                 Photos by Keith Saunders




    This review also published in AUSTRALIAN ARTS REVIEW. www.artsreview.com.au