Melbourne Opera presents Giuseppe Verdi’s Macbeth

Following the sell-out success of Wagner’s epic Das Rheingold at The Regent in February, Melbourne Opera will stage an inspired new production of Giuseppe Verdi’s thrilling Macbeth  at Her Majesty’s Theatre from 18 May. 

In an Australian theatre first, the final performance of Macbeth on 26 May will be broadcast via LIVE VR to anyone with Virtual Reality headsets, giving them the closest possible experience to seeing the production in person.  

Directed by legendary film and opera director Bruce Beresford (Driving Miss Daisy, Ladies in Black), Macbeth stars gifted baritone Simon Meadows as Macbeth, who gave the performance of the production as the slimy Alberich in Das Rheingold, and international opera sensation Helena Dix as Lady Macbeth, who previously shone in Norma, Roberto  Devereux and Lohengrin for Melbourne Opera.

In Macbeth, the first of three Shakespeare plays that Verdi adapted for the operatic stage, the composer’s musical artistry in creating a mysterious  and frightening atmosphere is elevated by librettist Francesco Maria Piave  and poet Andrei Maffei. After the triumph of the Teatro della Pergola premiere in 1847, then revised for Paris in 1865, the four-act opera was staged throughout Italy and eventually, New York and the world.  

Rounding out the cast of Macbeth are Melbourne Opera favourites Samuel Sakker (former Royal Opera House company principal), Adrian Tamburini (Australian Opera Award  winner), Eddie Muliaumaseali’i (Wotan in Das Rheingold), Robert Macfarlane (Hamlet at Adelaide Festival, many roles for Opera Australia), Alex Pokryshevsky (Opera  Australia’s Turandot), Richard Divall Emerging Artists Michael Dimovski, Eleanor Greenwood, Darcy Carroll and Jane Magão as well as the 60-strong Melbourne Opera Chorus. 

Greg Hocking and Raymond Lawrence will conduct the acclaimed Melbourne Opera Orchestra. 

Following the global critical acclaim of the live stream of Das Rheingold, Melbourne Digital Concert Hall will also live stream the performance of Macbeth on 26 May.