Adelaide Festival 2026 To Feature Isabelle Huppert In MARY SAID WHAT SHE SAID And Ensemble PYGMAILON

The Adelaide Festival has announced the first highlights of its 2026 program, featuring two Australian exclusives: Isabelle Huppert in Mary Said What She Said and a three-concert series by renowned French choir and orchestra Ensemble Pygmalion. Tickets go on sale to the general public from 10:00 a.m. ACST on Thursday, August 28.

Internationally acclaimed stage and screen actor Isabelle Huppert will return to Adelaide Festival for the first time since 2012 to perform Robert Wilson’s Mary Said What She Said, with text by Darryl Pinckney and a score by Ludovico Einaudi. Performed in French with English surtitles, the one-woman play portrays Mary Queen of Scots on the eve of her execution, drawing on her letters and exploring truth, deception, and martyrdom. The production, which has captivated audiences in New York, London, Paris, and Seoul, will play three performances at the Festival Theatre from March 6–8, 2026, following a Tokyo season in October 2025.

French ensemble Pygmalion, founded and directed by Raphaël Pichon, will make its long-awaited Australian debut with three programs across multiple venues:

• Bach: Good Night World (Feb 27–28, Adelaide Town Hall): A program of Bach and his predecessors, exploring themes of consolation, hope, and legacy.

• Orfeo by Luigi Rossi (Mar 4 & 6, Adelaide Town Hall): A revival of the first-ever French opera, long lost after its 1647 premiere, based on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.

• Monteverdi’s Vespers (Mar 2–3, St Peter’s Cathedral): Monteverdi’s groundbreaking 1610 sacred masterwork, blending liturgical tradition with operatic drama.

Festival Artistic Director Matthew Lutton OAM said: “Raphaël Pichon and Ensemble Pygmalion are leaders in their interpretation of early music. They celebrate you hearing Bach and Monteverdi with entirely new ears—it’s electric. Director Robert Wilson inspired generations with his genius, and I was deeply saddened to learn of his recent death. This production, created with the force of nature that is Isabelle Huppert, not only reveals new layers of Mary Queen of Scots, but the power of Wilson’s theatrical vision.”

Minister for Arts Andrea Michaels MP added: “We are proud to have contributed an additional $650,000 from the Malinauskas Government’s Arts Investment Fund to support the Adelaide Festival in 2026. This ensures that audiences can experience the world’s best artists on South Australian stages, beginning with these two festival exclusives.”

Ticket Information

Tickets for Isabelle Huppert in Mary Said What She Said and Ensemble Pygmalion’s three concerts go on sale at 10:00 a.m. ACST on Thursday, August 28. For more information, or to become a Festival Friend for early access, best seats, and discounts, visit adelaidefestival.com.au.