Opera Australia brings Carmen to Cockatoo Island

Opera Australia is expanding its footprint and claiming another iconic location with an inaugural performance of Carmen on Cockatoo Island. The innovative arts organisation has already taken opera from its cosy home in the Sydney Opera House to the great outdoors in The Domain, and on the water in Farm Cove. This new venture will bring the centuries old art form to a diverse, modern, mainstream crowd. 

Cockatoo Island is the largest of Sydney Harbour’s thirteen islands, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has been used as a penal colony, girls industrial school and reformatory, and a shipyard. More recently, it has been repurposed as a cultural, entertainment and tourist venue. 

It seems an unlikely setting for an opera, but it’s actually perfect for the concept director Liesel Badorrek and set designer Mark Thompson have for this production. The title character of Carmen is a rebel with street-smarts. She works in a cigarette factory and lives among the disenfranchised. 

The hard lines, concrete-facades, rusting iron beams and austere ambience of Cockatoo Island are ideal for Badorrek’s vision of a contemporary, subversive, rebel-culture inspired Carmen. Expect fireworks (literally), motorbike riders, leather jackets and a whole lot more. 

It ain’t gonna be easy, though.

The stage, seating, bars, dining and other facilities will be built from scratch on Bolt Wharf. Everything – building materials, technical equipment, costumes, everything – has to be taken across by barge. Then it needs to all be removed at the end of the season. But it will definitely be worth it. 

“We’ve waited two years for this,” says Danita Weatherstone who plays Micaëla in this production. The original scheduled season of Carmen on Cockatoo Island was interrupted by Covid. 

Weatherstone performed in the national tour of Carmen last year and is very excited about this upcoming outdoor event, in particular, Badorrek’s direction.

“I love Liesel Badorrek’s vision for this. She doesn’t want any weak characters. In this production she’s given my role strength and ambition,” says Weatherstone. “ [Micaëla] just feels so much more real, with more human wants and needs, rather than just a cardboard cut out of what a good girl should be.”

Weatherstone performed in the Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour (HOSH) production of La Traviata last year, so she already has experience in singing among the elements. It’s very different to performing in the House.

“Firstly, the size of the stage is just incredible, like, you feel like you’re performing on a football field…you feel so small, under the stars, on this massive space and you’ve got about three thousand people in the audience.”

Everyone on stage needs to scale up their performance to match the expansive setting. It requires a lost of energy. It also involves a bit of re-training. 

“We’re not used to singing into microphones,” Weatherstone laughs. Opera singers train to project their voices without the aid of mics, but then they normally sing in a closed room with good acoustics. Outside, they need to rely on equipment and sound engineers.

In the cool night air, a singer’s voice dries more quickly so they need to ensure they are hydrated. Then there’s the chance of over-hydration, otherwise known as rain. 

“It feels kind of nice singing in the rain,” Weatherstone says unexpectedly. 

Lighting is extremely important as well for this show. With such a large stage, lighting will be key in highlighting relevant characters and moments during the performance. It’s also being used as a narrative device to provide clues to the audience. 

Carmen is arguably the most popular opera in the world with some of the most recognisable melodies. It is one of the most accessible and this augmented experience on Cockatoo Island should appeal to aficionados and novices alike. 

“I think maybe if you’re new to opera, this is a fabulous way to start out with it, particularly if you’re more used to other kinds of concerts or festivals, it’s gonna have that vibe, it’s gonna be a lot of fun,” says Weatherstone. “You’ve got a ferry ride out on Sydney Harbour and drinks and nibbles on the island. You can go the full hog experience and camp out there.”

Overnight camping is available on the island with a full range of facilities on hand. Weatherstone’s own aunt and cousins are planning to camp out. 

Despite the challenges, Weatherstone believes these outdoor presentations are a postive thing for the arts, for public spaces, and for potential new audiences. 

“I would love to see more different venues. And, you know, as a country I’d love to see opera more exposed and available to people.”

Tickets can be purchases with optional dinner and drink packages and optional chartered ferry. Public ferries run a regular service to Cockatoo Island from Circular Quay, Barangaroo and other wharfs.  Water Taxis can also be booked privately. 

November 25 – December 18

Tickets $79-$149 + booking fee

Bolt Wharf, Cockatoo Island

For more information visit: https://opera.org.au/ carmen