The Drover's Wife at Sydney Opera House

The Drover's Wife is a groundbreaking new First Nations opera adapted from the play, novel and film of the same name by Leah Purcell AM, who also directs the work, blending contemporary First Nations storytelling with traditional grand opera. The opera is based on Henry Lawson's classic 1892 short story, with a score by composer George Palmer AM and a libretto by Purcell sung in English with Indigenous language woven in. Leading the cast is soprano Nina Korbe as Molly and Bundjalung tenor Marcus Corowa as Yadaka, with the OA orchestra conducted by Tahu Matheson. The opera follows Molly Johnson, heavily pregnant and living remotely in the Snowy Mountains, whose life is forever changed when an Aboriginal man named Yadaka seeks shelter at her homestead.