The Drover's Wife at Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House

They will say a story ended, those who cannot understand, no-one’s story ends forever, our Dreaming is forever.

Molly Johnson is a survivor. Heavily pregnant, she’s left alone to care for her children in a remote Snowy Mountains shanty.

Between the snakes, bullocks and hostile travellers on her doorstep, she faces no shortage of threats. With her husband away droving sheep, she faces them alone.

But when Yadaka, an Aboriginal man evading colonial authorities, disrupts Molly’s hard-won sanctuary, the pair’s shared history of brutal hardships can no longer be ignored.

The Drover’s Wife is a monumental new opera based on the play, novel and film by one of Australia’s leading artists, Leah Purcell. With a ravishing score by George Palmer, this new version reveals the symphonic soul of Purcell’s modern classic in its most expansive telling yet.

Melodies soar with raw emotion. Luscious orchestrations capture the beauty and violence of the Australian High Country. Grand opera traditions meet contemporary Aboriginal storytelling. Australia’s newest opera star Nina Korbe (West Side Story on Sydney Harbour) leads the cast as the titular drover’s wife in a role that will leave you breathless.

Language

Performed in English with English surtitles.

Running time

Approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes, including one interval.

Please note

This production contains graphic depictions of violence including violence against women, themes of racism, replica firearms and gunshot effects.