Review by Markus Hamence – Roméo et Juliette – Performance date: Thursday 23 October 2025. Her Majesty’s Theatre, Adelaide, South Australia
Fresh, bold and audacious – the latest offering from State Opera South Australia sees the timeless tragedy of ‘star-crossed lovers’ reborn in a production that fuses classic elegance with an urban rock-star energy. Here’s my take on this high-voltage staging of Charles Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, crafted for a new generation of opera-lovers.
Setting the Scene
This is not your nanna’s Verona. Under the baton of the incomparable Artistic Director and conductor the great Dane Lam, and with direction by Rodula Gaitanou and design by the mad talents of Olivier-Award-nominated takis, the production places familiar themes of love, fate and family-feud in a world that feels as immediate as my late-night playlist.
The company, in collaboration with Irish National Opera and West Australian Opera, has engineered a major co-production that locates Adelaide not just as an audience, but as creator. It’s been 25 years since this opera graced South Australia, making the moment all the more electric. A show of production and talent that invokes the ‘Proud to be South Australian’ spirit.
“It is a remarkable production with the highest quality of the greatest tragic love story ever told. Bravo” – Markus Hamence
The Musical Fire
At the heart of the evening are two powerhouse leads: Australian soprano Siobhan Stagg performs Juliette, and Adelaide-based American tenor Kyle Stegall takes on Roméo – both making their roles fresh and fiercely committed. Outstanding does not capture their performances…
Stagg brings a crystalline clarity to Juliette’s voice, with an emotional depth that keeps her grounded even as she soars. In conversation she speaks of Juliette as “heart-led, loyal, bookish and thoughtful” – and you see that in her stage presence. Stegall’s tenor registers lushly across the theatre, and his chemistry with Stagg makes the duets feel less like operatic ritual and more like real two-people colliding in a universe of their own making.
And then there’s baritone Morgan Pearse as Mercutio, more than mere foil – he sparkles, he sears, and he breathes life into what can sometimes feel like a peripheral role. The supporting cast, chorus and orchestra all pull together to elevate this beyond a ‘nice night at the opera’ into a visceral shared experience.
“a version of Romeo & Juliet that’s elegant yet edgy, romantic but unafraid of darkness…” – Markus Hamence
Visuals & Direction
Gaitanou’s direction leans into a dream-logic – settings that feel familiar but slightly off-kilter, lighting (by designer Bernie Tan-Hayes) that whispers both twilight and confrontation, costumes by takis that nod to the classic but flirt with attitude. The result: a version of Romeo & Juliet that’s elegant yet edgy, romantic but unafraid of darkness.
For example, the balcony scene feels less ‘traditional stage moment’ and more ‘two lives reaching out across time’. Simple AND very effective. takis focussed on the feeling rather than distraction, and this s what makes him a master at the game. Design touches like star-speckled ceilings, subtle urban echoes in the staging, and family houses that feel like social scenes as much as architectural sets, all combine to keep the production contemporary without abandoning the opera’s heritage.
The Moments That Hit
- The opening is grand and sweeping – you sense from the first chord that something major is underway.
- The Masquerade Ball is glorious, lush and detailed with layered costumery that fills your head with vibrancy and spectacle.
- Stagg’s ‘Je veux vivre’ (Juliette’s famous aria) is a highlight: yes, it has all the florid brilliance you expect, but also a delicate vulnerability you didn’t always get in older productions.
- The love duets between Juliette and Roméo: full of longing, full of risk – the way Lam accents the orchestra gives them moments of raw intimacy.
- The tragedy at the end hits much harder than many versions: the staging gives space for grief, not just spectacle.
“The Masquerade Ball is glorious, lush and detailed with layered costumery that fills your head with vibrancy and spectacle… “ – Markus Hamence
Why It Matters
For someone like me – in the world of interiors, music, design, atmosphere and feeling – this was more than an evening at the theatre: it was a total space-creation. The production shows how opera can feel new again. The locals and international cast, the re-imagined aesthetic, the fact that it’s built in Adelaide for the world – all speak to a company ready to lead rather than follow.
If you’re looking for a reason to say “yes” to opera this season, this is it. Whether you’re deeply into opera or curious about stepping in, this production of Roméo et Juliette delivers story, spectacle and soul. Oh, Romeo!
“Whether you’re deeply into opera or curious about stepping in, this production of Roméo et Juliette delivers story, spectacle and soul. Oh, Romeo!”
– Markus Hamence
Final Verdict
A rockstar-level experience in a formal realm, unapologetically regal and refreshingly modern. If you catch one show from the 2025 season of State Opera South Australia, make it this one, you’ll thank me.
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