Eucalyptus, the fully realised new opera, made its premiere at Brisbane Festival in a co-production by Opera Australia, Victorian Opera, Perth Festival and Opera Queensland. Based on Murray Bail’s fantastical, haunting 1998 novel of the same name and winner of the Miles Franklin Award, Eucalyptus was first performed in a concert version earlier this year in Perth.
Ellen’s beauty is famous for miles around. Her overprotective father Holland has created a safe place to protect her from the world: a forest of eucalypts, all lovingly planted, staked, and tied. But is the forest a sanctuary or is Ellen imprisoned? Unable to bear the thought of losing Ellen, Holland announces a competition, setting an impossible task: only a man who can name all 500 trees on his land may marry his daughter. As suitors arrive to try their luck, Ellen encounters a stranger amongst the trees: a storyteller with enchanting tales of faraway lands.
Composer Jonathan Mills said the trees themselves played a central role in shaping the world of Eucalyptus, courtesy of the 16-strong Opera Queensland Chorus. Sometimes on stage, sometimes offstage, the chorus could be heard singing the names of the trees. A halo of voices evoked the forest from the opening scene.
The set, designed by Simone Romaniuk, included a giant tree etched onto strips of sheer towering fabric that separated the Brisbane Symphony Orchestra (and conductor Tahu Matheson) from the upstage singers. Off to the side was an elevated stage where a white backdrop curtain played host to a range of video projections, at first old-timey black-and-white images, eventually transforming into colour as Act Two descended and Ellen’s state of mind slowly changed from despair to hope. Romaniuk’s costuming assisted in effectively transporting the audience back to mid-20th century outback Australia.
As the Stranger, Michael Petruccelli cut an intriguing figure with his clear tenor vocals and commanding stage presence. As Cave, Samuel Dundas brought the comedy with his persistent recounting of eucalyptus names. He even managed to make me feel a little bit sorry that despite his best efforts, he was not successful at winning the competition. That was quickly resolved though with a clever plot twist at the end.
As Ellen, Desiree Frahn’s soprano vocals were soaring. Her melancholy was palpable, and it was more than a little frustrating to witness the battles with her father, sung with pathos and beauty by Simon Meadows, despite his justifications for his actions. As the Sprunt Sisters, Natalie Jones and Dimity Shepherd aptly embodied gossipy know-all townswomen.
Directed by renowned Australian playwright Michael Gow, with libretto by Meredith Oakes, the underlying messages in Eucalyptus of the power of love and the freedom to choose whom we love were welcomingly realised by the end, even if the journey to get there felt a little unhurried.
Eucalyptus is sure to delight opera lovers hungry for new and exciting Australian work, and despite a short Brisbane Festival season, it will be staged again in October at the Palais Theatre in Melbourne.
Eucalyptus was on at the Concert Hall, QPAC from 4-5 September 2024; and plays the Palais Theatre, St Kilda from 16 to 19 October 2024
Sarah Skubala
Other reviews you might enjoy:
- Don Giovanni (Opera Qld) – theatre review
- Tosca (Opera Qld) – theatre review
- Idomeneo (Victorian Opera and Opera Australia) – opera review
Sarah Skubala is a freelance writer and has lived in Highgate Hill for several years. Originally from Adelaide, Sarah has a background in library work and musical publicity. She co-executive produced the award winning short film Down To Earth and has written a comedy short screenplay. She is currently working on a web series and a novella. Sarah is a fixture in West End and can be found wherever there is good coffee and cheap books.