The Nightingale and Other Fables

The Nightingale and Other Fables description

The world’s greatest directors can breathe new life into beloved classics. Few can do so like Robert Lepage.

Returning to Adelaide Festival for the first time since 2018, the internationally acclaimed Canadian auteur brings his brilliant imagination and a lush aesthetic to Igor Stravinsky’s The Nightingale and Other Fables.

The Nightingale, Stravinsky’s first opera, was written between 1908-13 during the composer’s Russian period, at the same time as he was working on some of his greatest masterpieces, such as The Firebird and The Rite of Spring. Inspired by a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, this captivating work is blended with Russian fables and musical influences from Asia, Europe and early jazz from America.

Stories unfurl through acrobatic shadow play and Taiwanese hand puppets, before moving on to the ancient art of Vietnamese water puppetry for the spectacular telling of The Nightingale.

These stunning visual elements are the perfect complement to Stravinsky’s music, brought to life by a superb cast of singers from Ukraine, the United States, Canada and Australia, the State Opera South Australia Chorus and Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. It’s a true feast for the senses.

With exquisite music, beautiful puppetry and captivating stories, The Nightingale and Other Fables combines the best of Stravinsky and the imagination of Lepage in a program that will delight audiences of all ages.

Event additional information

Credits

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A co-production of Opéra national de Lyon, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Canadian Opera Company and Dutch National Opera in collaboration with Ex Machina (Canada). Presented by Adelaide Festival and State Opera South Australia.

Composer Igor Stravinsky
Director Robert Lepage
Assistant Director Sybille Wilson
Conductor Alejo Pérez
Set Designer Carl Fillion
Costume, Wig and Makeup Designer Mara Gottler
Puppet Designer Michael Curry
Lighting Designer Etienne Boucher
Puppet Choreographer Martin Genest

CAST

The Nightingale
Nightingale Yuliia Zasimova (soprano) 
Fisherman Owen McCausland (tenor) 
Emperor Taras Berezhansky (bass) 
Death Meredith Arwady (contralto) 
Cook Yuliya Pogrebnyak (soprano) 
Chamberlain Nabil Suliman (baritone) 
Bonze Jud Arthur (bass)
Envoy Robert Macfarlane (tenor)
Envoy Pelham Andrews (bass)
Envoy Norbert Hohl (tenor) 

The Fox
Andrew Goodwin (tenor)
Owen McCausland (tenor)
Taras Berezhansky (bass)
Nabil Suliman (baritone)

The Two Poems of Konstantin Balmont
Yuliya Pogrebnyak (soprano)

Pribaoutki and Berceuses du Chat
Meredith Arwady (contralto)

Adelaide Symphony Orchestra
State Opera South Australia Chorus

Production

Production Manager Bruce Bolton
Stage Manager Jess Nash
Assistant Stage Manager Charlotte Welden
Production Secondment (NIDA) Claire Edmonds-Wilson
Props Ashley Ng
Head of Wardrobe Tracey Richardson (State Opera South Australia)
Head of Hair & Make Up Jana Davies
Special thanks to State Opera of South Australia

Partners

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