Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House
June 28, 2018

Of those operas that come trailing a laundry list of expectations, Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor sits somewhere near the very top. And when you’ve got the delicious prospect of two of the world’s leading exponents of their roles in Jessica Pratt and Michael Fabiano, expectations are elevated to a dangerous degree. I’m therefore delighted to report that opening night of Opera Australia’s presentation of this bel canto masterpiece did not disappoint, shot through with electricity, superb singing and a sure sense of drama. It can be a rare thing to encounter just one of these things – all three in one night is an operatic white whale.

Lucia di Lammermoor, Opera Australia, Jessica Pratt, reviewJessica Pratt in Opera Australia’s Lucia di Lammermoor. Photo © Prudence Upton

Seen here in a minimalist, atmospheric production by John Doyle (revived by Roger Press), action is moved to the early Romantic period with the emphasis on establishing a cold, impersonal world of men. Male choristers are dressed in the same drab, grey and black period clothing, a looming, impenetrable mass that makes the modest stage of the...