Immersive and beautiful production centring themes of public versus private grief processes
Presented by: Monica Lim & Mindy Meng Wang
Reviewed: 5 November 2025
Opera for the Dead is an immersive art and music experience that explores the path living people take in the aftermath of a loved one’s passing. It’s an innovative production that guides the audience in a tender and evocative funeral process, incorporating Chinese traditions and themes around performative versus private grief.
The audience enters the predominantly blacked out theatre with the rhythmic sounds already in progress. A series of speakers hanging from the ceiling, dangling under spotlights. The Wu Changs (Nicky Tsz Lung Li and Kunyi Queenie Wu) circulate the room, adding fruits and small bells to the speakers that act as the introduction to the opera.
In the middle of the room is a collection of curtained platforms with the musicians inside, initially quiet and statuesque, while projections of ceremonial locations appear on the curtains. There are no seats for the performance, except for a few scattered around the room for accessibility purposes. The audience is instead encouraged to walk around and move with the performance.
Opera for the Dead was a beautiful show that was like wandering a living gallery. The individual platforms move throughout the show, offering new perspectives on the performers and using the block nature of the platforms to transform the space. It blends musical and visual projection art in a delicate sharing of grief processing that touches at times into the haunting reality associated with themes around death.
The traditional instruments are placed in a contemporary, artistic production with a clear attention to detail. The ability to move around during the performance allowed for more details, such as the tear placement on the performers, to be experienced.
Opera for the Dead is performed by co-creator Mindy Meng Wang on guzheng, co-creator Monica Lim on electronics, Yu Tien Lin on vocals, Alexander Meagher on percussion, and Nils Hobiger on cello.
The show is sold out for its run at OzAsia 2025 but is one to keep an eye on for should there be future runs.
Reviewed by Alex Dunkin
Photo credit: Dewie Bukit
Venue: The Odeon Theatre, Norwood
Season: 5-6 November 2025
Duration: 50mins
Tickets: $30 – $49 – Sold out
Bookings: https://ozasia.adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au/whats-on/opera-for-the-dead
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