State Opera South Australia’s new production of Gioachino Rossini’s Cinderella (La Cenerentola) at Her Majesty’s Theatre is a playful interpretation of the much-loved story. Starring Teddy Tahu Rhodes, Anna Dowsley and Helena Dix, the tale of Angelina (Cinderella) and her awful sisters has been updated to incorporate a few nods to State Opera’s very special Golden Jubilee Year.
Directed with playful flair by acclaimed film and theatre director Neil Armfield and designed by Stephen Curtis, this vibrant retelling places the story somewhere between a hyper-real version of the 1970s and its actual premiere in 1814. La Cenerentola, also sometimes known as Goodness Triumphant, has the distinction of being the first opera ever performed in Australia, making its way to the Sydney stage in 1844 with conductor Isaac Nathan.
Visually, the production is a winner with Curtis’s set and costume designs full of cheeky sartorial touches. There are bold patterns, big wigs, enormous evening dresses, and a flambouyant colour palette everywhere you look. It all feels ridiculously thrown-together in a very artful way, as if to say ‘this old thing’ when you’re wearing the latest designer creation. This is a fairy-tale world where nothing is real with a heightened aesthetic that sits very much between opera and pantomime. Nigel Levings’ lighting design adds warmth and ambience, especially in the few quieter moments. Down in the pit, guest conductor Stuart Stratford, music director of Scottish Opera, kept up a lively pace with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra.
Musically, this is a strong production. Anna Dowsley is an engaging Angelina with her rich, expressive mezzo-soprano and an emotional sincerity that is very appealing. She fills Angelina with a quiet dignity and we see her grow in courage and inner strength as the story moves along. There are no magic mice and fairy godmothers in this telling, just a determined young woman with a big heart who can make her own dreams come true.
Teddy Tahu Rhodes is a delight as always, balancing the farcical humour and unlikely outfits with the necessary heft and stage presence required of Don Magnifico. Helena Dix and Indyana Schneider make the most of their roles as the sisters Clorinda and Tisbe. Korean tenor Jihoon Son absolutely shines as Don Ramiro, the Prince of Salerno. This is his Australian debut appearance, so I hope we see more of him in the future. Two singers well-known to Adelaide audiences, Nicholas Lester and Pelham Andrews, were excellent in their roles as Dandini and Alidoro, showing a wonderfully comic touch.
There are some complex passages in Rossini’s score and the cast handled them beautifully amid the staged chaos, although there are definitely moments when it would be nice to be able to focus more on the music and the inherent emotionality without all the japery. The comic business can become too busy, taking our attention away from the music rather than complementing it.
The real business of the opera is staged almost on a set within a set. As the music begins, a stage manager, various roadies, and assorted stage hands appear, many sporting mullets and worn-out old black State Opera T-shirts. We soon realise these are the male chorus, singing as they work. This seemed like a fun nod to their 50th anniversary and a clever directorial decision at the opening but fell a bit flat as the opera progressed and again distracted a little from the storyline rather than enhancing it.
That said, these are minor reservations in what is a delightful production with excellent singers, very strong central performances, and a happy ending. Neil Armfield’s Cinderella feels like a party, and so it should to mark the start of State Opera’s fiftieth anniversary celebrations. Happy Birthday, SOSA!
For more information and tickets, visit: stateopera.com.au
Two more performances only, 14 & 16 May 2026.
