CARMEN to Return to Adelaide in State Opera South Australia Finale
Charlotte Kelso, Gerard Schneider, Samuel Dale Johnson and Desiree Frahn lead the cast with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra.
State Opera South Australia has announced a new production of Carmen, bringing Bizet's tale of defiance and speaking truth to power to Adelaide in October.
Across four performances from Saturday 17 October to Saturday 24 October 2026 at Her Majesty's Theatre Adelaide, opera's ultimate rebel takes centre stage in a production that evokes the sounds and sights of Bizet's Spain.
Australian director Laura Hansford brings her unique creative voice to State Opera South Australia's new production of Carmen, setting Bizet's famous story in its original setting of 1825 Seville. At the heart of the story is Carmen, a fiercely independent woman who refuses to be owned. When the simpleton soldier, Don José, falls for Carmen, their passionate flirtation spirals into jealousy and obsession - with devastating consequences.
State Opera South Australia Artistic Director Dane Lam said that Carmen remains one of the most recognisable stories and scores in opera, making it ideal for first-time audiences and seasoned opera-goers alike.
'There is no opera in the repertoire that has more recognisable tunes. Of all composers, Bizet knew how to craft a melody that stays with us long after we leave the theatre - the ultimate earworm maker! These timeless melodies - allied with an evocative orchestration and a cast of characters we at once recognise, barrack for, and pity - make a quintessential night at the theatre', Lam said.
'Carmen fits perfectly with our thesis that: opera is for everyone: it's elite, not elitist with our singers the Olympians of the vocal world - sending their voices without any amplification over the orchestra and into a 1,500-seat theatre. State Opera South Australia is the most locally rooted, internationally facing company in the region - shaping the conversation of what an opera company is in 21st Century Australia.'
Created in South Australia, Carmen features a stellar Australian cast, including South Australian soprano Charlotte Kelso who returns home in the title role of Carmen, tenor Gerard Schneider as Don Josė, baritone Samuel Dale Johnson as Escamillo and soprano Desiree Frahn as Micaëla, collaborating with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and State Opera Chorus.
Laura Hansford said she is thrilled to return to South Australia for this new production of Carmen.
'I could not be more excited to come back to Adelaide and work with the team at State Opera South Australia. The world Bizet created for us in Carmen is filled with passion, colour, wit, humour, friendship, and genuine humanity, and I cannot wait to see what we can create together', Hansford said.
State Opera Executive Director Mark Taylor said that Carmen would be a fitting finale to the company's Golden Jubilee mainstage season.
'Carmen is the triumphant conclusion to our Golden Jubilee mainstage season, celebrating Australian talent through Laura Hansford's vision and the homecoming of Charlotte Kelso as opera's most iconic heroine. This is blockbuster opera in South Australia created locally for global impact', Taylor said.
The South Australian Deputy Premiere and Minister for the Arts Kyam Maher said that the return of Carmen is a major cultural event for local audiences.
'Carmen is one of the world's most enduring operas, and its return to Adelaide reflects the strength of South Australia's arts sector under this Government's continued investment. Supporting productions like Carmen means backing the artists, technicians, and creative talent who make South Australia's cultural sector one of the strongest in the country', Minister Maher said.