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AbstractHistoryArchive Description
'The ancient and contemporary collide to dazzling effect in this world premiere.
'The Epic of Gilgamesh is humanity’s oldest written epic poem. Emerging from ancient Mesopotamian mythology, it tells of a restless young king who, through experiences of love and loss, becomes a better person. His unexpected love for a half-man, half-animal leads him wide-eyed into mysterious realms.
'Gilgamesh’s story sings to us across millennia, and this brand-new opera uncovers all that remains strikingly relevant: its approach to mortality, sexuality and our relationship with nature. This is the first opera in English based upon this foundational part of civilisation.'
Source: Opera Australia.
Notes
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Inaugural collaboration between Opera Australia and Sydney Chamber Opera.
Production Details
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Presented by Opera Australia, Sydney Chamver Opera and Carriageworks in association with Australian String Quartet and Ensemble Offspring, at Carriageworks, 26 September - 5 October 2024.
Conductor: Jack Symonds.
Director: Kip Williams.
Set and Costume Designer: Elizabeth Gadsby.
Lighting Designer: Amelia Lever Davidson.
Electronics and Sound Designer: Benjamin Carey.
Cast: Jeremy Kleeman (Gilgamesh), Mitchell Riley (Enkidu), Jane Sheldon (Ishtar/Scorpion), Jessica O'Donoghue (Shamhat/Uta-Napishti/Scorpion), and Daneil Szesiong Todd (Humbaba/Ur-Shanabi).
