Mozart’s famous masterpiece gets an exciting Eastern urban fantasy twist
Presented by: State Opera South Australia
Reviewed: 28 August, 2025
State Opera South Australia have collaborated with Opera Hong Kong and Beijing Music Festival to bring this remarkable production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute to life. This particular staging of what is perhaps the most famous opera of all time comes with an Asian urban fantasy flavour that infuses new life and energy to this classic story of magic, deceit and the lengths we will go to to regain love.
The set is both simple and epic; the location is a Hong Kong subway station, with projections creating much of the landscape, and huge moving pillars rearranging to form the various scenes. A circular revolve pops out of the severely raked stage and adds another level for the actors to work with or forms a confined space when required. The whole effect is one that instantly shifts from the mundane to the magical as Tomino moves from subway station to mystical realm.
The costuming, which was perhaps my favourite element of this production, likewise found elements of modern everyday clothing and twisted them into something out of this world. From Papageno in his feathery pants, to the First, Second and Third Ladies appearing as flight attendants come to life from a poster on the subway wall, to the Speaker as a wise homeless man living in a garbage bag bunker, every costume was incredibly detailed. Touches of fluro lights embedded in elements of most of the costumes only added to the modern flair and looked particularly striking under Glen D’Haenens’ evocative lighting design.
The cast assembled for this production is world class. Nicholas Jones as Tomino is the perfect leading man, with a voice like honey and acting chops to match. David Greco as Papageno was a hilarious counterpart to the more serious Tomino, with excellent comedic timing. His duet with Papagena (Jessica Dean) was a vocal and comedic highlight. Teddy Tahu Rhodes showed exactly why he is a household name in opera. His Sarastro held court over the entire theatre, with a physical and vocal presence that was impossible to ignore.
Everyone was waiting for the iconic Queen of The Night aria, and in that regard, Danielle Bavli met all our expectations. With a tone like the purest bell and all round impressive vocal flexibility, Bavli showed why her voice is internationally renowned, though her acting didn’t command as much presence or authority as the formidable Queen should project, especially in contrast to Rhodes.
An absolute standout in this production was Stacey Alleaume as Pamina. You would never know that she had only been contacted 48 hours before opening night to understudy Sofia Troncoso (who was indisposed due to illness). Alleaume, a professional through and through, stepped into the role without a glitch. Her voice is angelic, and her characterisation was relatable and realistic.
The flight-attendand-inspired First, Second and Third Ladies, played by Helena Dix, Catriona Barr and Fiona McArdle, were a tight unit, executing their complex harmonic lines with finesse and finding plenty of cheek in their roles. Mark Oates as the villainous Monostatos was wonderfully disgusting, with soaring tenor lines and excellent physicality. The audience loved to hate him so much that they actually booed his bow, a villain’s greatest honour! Pelham Andrews brought a sense of mystery to the Speaker, though he also managed to find the humour in Mozart’s score.
The three children, played by Phillip Cheng, Ethan Zhang and Celine Yuan, were both adorable and professional. Sadly, Phillip Cheng lost his voice due to illness, so although he was on stage, his vocal lines were sung by Brooke Zabrowsky from the chorus. Kudos must go to these three budding performers for their beautiful voices and wonderful characterisation, particularly in their final incarnation as elderly people.
Rounding out this stunning performance was of course the State Opera Chorus, packed with remarkable performers who help to elevate this production to another level, and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Dane Lam. Although opening night included a few rushed vocal lines resulting in an occasional lack of synchronisation between orchestra and voices, overall this was a very tight production.
It is very exciting to see a fresh take on one of the most famous operas of all time, keeping this remarkable art form alive and relevant to today’s audiences. If you’re unsure whether to see yet another version of The Magic Flute, stop wondering, because this version is like nothing you’ve ever seen.
Reviewed by Kristin Stefanoff
Photo credit: Andrew Beveridge
Venue: Her Majesty’s Theatre
Season: Thur 28th and Sat 30th August, Thur 4th and Sat 6th September
Duration: 2hrs 40min, inc 20min interval
Tickets: $35 – $189 (plus booking fee)
Bookings: https://stateopera.com.au/productions/themagicflute/
More News
