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Two silhouetted figures in period costume stand together against a warm orange backdrop in a stylised theatrical scene.

Interview

Lucy Stoddart on stepping into State Opera's genre-bending fairy tale

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Lucy Stoddart joins State Opera South Australia's genre-bending production of Hansel and Gretel, directed by Constantine Costi with design by Jonathan Oxlade, featuring countertenor Kangmin Justin Kim as Hansel and Sofia Troncoso as Gretel. The Humperdinck opera, conducted by the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, opens a dark reimagining of the Brothers Grimm tale that treats the fairy story as raw material for adults confronting fear and survival.


INTERVIEW: Markus Hamence is in The Jungle Room with Lucy Stoddart who performs in State Opera South Australia's Hansel & Gretel

“Who’s that nibbling at my house? Nibble, nibble, I hear a mouse. Who’s that nibbling at my house?”

Step into the dark, enchanted forest where danger lurks behind every tree and sweetness hides sinister secrets. Constantine Costi’s visionary, genre-bending production of Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, has lead design by Jonathan Oxlade. Based on the haunting original by the Brothers Grimm, Hansel and Gretel brings to life a timeless story of courage, cunning, and the triumph of self-reliance.

The world’s most in-demand countertenor, Kangmin Justin Kim takes to the stage as Hansel with Sofia Troncoso as Gretel, returning to Adelaide following a triumphant season as Pamina in Mozart’s The Magic Flute. With Catherine Carby in the dual role of the Witch and the Mother, Morgan Pearse as Peter and South Australian emerging artist, Lucy Stoddart, this is an ensemble cast not to be missed. Accompanied by a wonderfully talented Children’s Chorus and other leading artists from State Opera South Australia, Humperdinck’s lush, Wagnerian score is played by the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra.

This is Hansel and Gretel as you’ve never seen it before - raw, riveting, and deeply human. A fairy tale not just for children, but for anyone who’s ever had to face their fears - and find their way home.

HANSEL & GRETEL
21 Aug 2026 – 29 Aug 2026
Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide
TICKETS

Two silhouetted figures stand in an orange-hued forest clearing, framed by dark branches and undergrowth.

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