A Gilt-Edged Team for Pinchgut’s Theodora
Pinchgut Opera presents Handel’s last opera and masterpiece Theodora with a cast and creative team headed by Erin Helyard and directed by Lindy Hume.
In the narrative, Theodora is the leader of the Christian community in Antioch: a young woman whose life of virtue has inspired many to embrace her faith – including the Roman officer Didymus, who has in the process fallen deeply in love with his spiritual mentor. When the order comes through that all who refuse to offer sacrifice to Jupiter are to be tortured and killed, the two lovers find themselves locked in a battle to the death: each determined to sacrifice their own life to save the other.
The roles of Theodora and Irene are performed by soprano Valda Wilson and mezzo-soprano Caitlin Hulcup, both of whom began their careers in Australia and who now have well established careers around the world. Caitlin Hulcup thrilled Pinchgut fans in the title roles in Griselda (2011) and in Iphigenie en Tauride in 2014.
Pinchgut Opera also welcomes back countertenor Christopher Lowrey as Didymus and British tenor Ed Lyon as Septimius. Lowrey sang Tamerlano in the Pinchgut production of Vivaldi’s Bajazet in July 2015 and Lyon sang the role of Don Alonzo in their production of Grétry’s L’Amant Jaloux in December 2015. Australian bass-baritone Andrew Collis sings the role of Valens. Cantillation Chorus and the Orchestra of the Antipodes complete the gilt-edged cast list, with Dan Potra in charge of design and Matthew Marshall the lighting designer.
Click here to book.
