Kate Miller-Heidke Returning to Brisbane in THE RABBITS

Brisbane's own Kate Miller-Heidke brings her brand new, uniquely Australian opera, The Rabbits, a co-production between Opera Australia and Barking Gecko Theatre Company to the Playhouse, Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) for a strictly limited season from 17 to 20 March 2016.

The Helpmann Award winning opera, based on the much loved book of the same name written by John Marsden and illustrated by Oscar winning Shaun Tan, has been brought to life with an original contemporary composition by Kate Miller-Heidke (who also performs in the lead role) with additional music by Iain Grandage.

Since premiering to sell-out crowds at the Perth International Arts Festival in February 2015, The Rabbits has won four Helpmann Awards (Best New Australian Work, Best Original Score, Best Presentation for Children and Best Costume Design) as well as selling out shows for the Melbourne Festival season in October 2015.

This is the first collaboration of its kind under the lead of Opera Australia Artistic Director, Lyndon Terracini.

"The Rabbits has broken new ground in bringing together elements of opera, contemporary music and theatre. Kate Miller-Heidke is an outstanding talent and a fine leader as both composer and performer for the show", says Terracini.

Former Artistic Director of Barking Gecko Theatre Company, John Sheedy, is the Adaptor and Director of The Rabbits and explains that although the opera is uniquely Australian, it has the potential to appeal to a varied international audience.

"Though aspects of the book make the story particularly pertinent to Australia, Marsden's metaphorical text and Tan's highly constructed universe are easily relatable to any study of colonial history.

"The story provides clear and unsentimental empathy with Indigenous cultures and provides a powerful study of a people and land overwhelmed", said Sheedy.

Designer Gabriela Tylesova has created the stunning sets and costumes which lend direct visual cues from Tan's illustrations, while Lally Katz (Librettist) has turned Marsden's poetic words in to an enchanting libretto.

QPAC Chief Executive John Kotzas said that this work is a highlight of the Centre's 2016 program.

"The Rabbits has made vital steps towards redefining Australian opera. We are passionate about curating a program that is relevant to contemporary Australian life. The Rabbits delivers on every front", said Mr Kotzas.

The story of The Rabbits is of colonisation, civilisation and progress, displacement, destruction and the cultural clash that has formed Australia's recent history since British settlement. Mostly however, The Rabbits tells a story of hope taking root in a landscape of larger-than-life machines, native marsupials, mystical birds and white rabbits. This is a work that is entertaining for the young and the young-at-heart, a genre-hopping production testing the elasticity of what opera can be.

The cast includes five Indigenous artists including TV and theatre performer Hollie Andrew (Fat Tony & Co, Somersault, The Sapphires), Deadly-Award winning singer Marcus Corowa (Sydney Festival, Corroboree Festival), David Leha (Radical Son), a strong man with a stronger stage presence and a mesmerizing voice, Lisa Maza (The Sapphires, Dirt Song - Black Arm Band, Sisters of Gelam) and opera singers Kanen Breen (The Magic Flute, Partenope), Chris Hillier (Don Giovanni, Carmen) and Robert Mitchell, a veteran of Opera Australia.

This theatre and opera milestone is a delight for the whole family. Recommended for children 8+, this is a work not to be missed in 2016. Book now via qpac.com.au or call 136 246.

The Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) is located within Queensland's vibrant cultural precinct at South Bank, Brisbane. The Centre is focused on creating a world where the performing arts matter to everyone. Welcoming more than 1.4 million visitors and presenting over 1200 performances annually the QPAC experience extends beyond the theatre with a range of unique spaces to eat, drink, and enjoy free live entertainment. Visit www.qpac.com.au to learn more about Queensland's Centre for live performance and the range of exciting events and initiatives on offer year round. To come a little closer to QPAC find out more about QPAC Membership here.

The new opera The Rabbits may well prove to be one of the most important works ever created in this country

Daily Telegraph, 9 January 2016

A triumphant adaption of a deeply tragic story.
The Guardian, Australia 2015

This short powerful gem of a work tells and important story in a beautifully engaging way.
The Australian, 2015

There's no questioning the production values. The Rabbits is performed with brio and passion by an excellent cast, who cope with the melange of musical styles.
ABC Arts, 2015