State Opera South Australia (SOSA) has revealed two major productions for its 2025 season. The company will present a new version of Mozart’s The Magic Flute and a lavish staging of Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette. Both shows will premiere at Adelaide’s Her Majesty’s Theatre.
SOSA Artistic Director Lam described the season as “opera without borders.” The lineup reflects the company’s growing role as a globally connected arts organisation, leading up to its 50th anniversary in 2026.
“At its best, opera is the most collaborative of human endeavours,” Lam said. “This season reimagines classic works while creating new opportunities for South Australian talent.”
The Magic Flute will have its world premiere in Hong Kong. It will then come to Adelaide in August 2025 and to Beijing in 2026. This production is the first major collaboration between Australian and Chinese opera institutions. SOSA is working with Opera Hong Kong, Beijing Music Festival, and China National Opera House on this project. The production combines Mozart’s music with striking visuals inspired by modern Asia-Pacific culture. It is directed by filmmaker and Beijing Music Festival Artistic Director Shuang Zou and designed by Dan Potra. The show reimagines the opera’s magical world as a dystopian, multi-verse Hong Kong subway.
Shuang Zou explained the creative vision: “We chose to move away from the many freemasonry references in the original. Instead, we drew from rich eastern mythological philosophies. Ideas like the non-dual aspects of self-awakening, finding truth from within, and the importance of faith and compassion in discovering love and truth are all present in the story. This guided us to take the characters deep into the ‘East’.”
For SOSA, baritone David Greco will play Papageno. Soprano Danielle Bavli will perform as the Queen of the Night, and soprano Sofia Troncoso will sing Pamina. Lam will conduct the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra for all performances.
In October, SOSA will premiere Roméo et Juliette in Adelaide. This homegrown production will tour internationally afterward. It is a co-production with Irish National Opera and West Australian Opera. Australian soprano Siobhan Stagg will star as Juliette, with tenor Kyle Stegall as Roméo.
Baritone Morgan Pearse returns to the role of Mercutio. The production is directed by Rodula Gaitanou, with London-based designer takis giving a modern look to Gounod’s romantic classic.
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