Composer Calvin Bowman and librettist Anna Goldsworthy have taken Norman Lindsay’s iconic 100-year-old story about a magic pudding and turned it into a musical treat that keeps on giving. Commissioned in 2012 by Richard Mills, Victorian Opera’s Artistic Director at the time, it has all the ingredients designed to engage children, so a third helping for a new generation of children is more than welcome.
A 60-minute opera in “Four Slices”, it is visually exciting, brim full of action and has music that is tunefully accessible and varied. Some children may not recognize “God save the King” nowadays, but an enthusiastic rendition by the cast added to a sense of historical context and served the machinations plot well: the stolen pudding hidden under Wombat’s hat is revealed when he is obliged to show respect.
Much of the visual colour comes from original set and costumes by Chloe Greaves, and Peter Darby’s lighting design – in this iteration revived by costume designer Mel Serjeant and lighting designer Robert Brown. Gum trees silhouetted against a setting sun conjured up the Australian bush setting effectively, and the effort made to resemble Norman Lindsay’s lithograph sketches as closely as possible – with the main characters in animal costumes, or presented as a long-legged, grumpy-faced pudding – captures the charm of a book that has enthralled generations of children.
Like for the original production, Victorian Opera (VO) is presenting this season in association with the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music (MCM), with singers from the Masters program undertaking some leading roles and forming the chorus. Members of VO’s Emerging Artists Program: soprano Rachael Joyce, baritone Bailey Montgomerie and soprano Alessia Pintabona, performed other roles.
Tenor Douglas Kelly has long been earning plaudits for a variety of principal roles in VO productions. As Bill Barnacle, he was one of the few characters not among the many animal inhabitants of Lindsay’s world. His vibrant, well-projected voice and energetic physicality created a strong focal point for the action. He joined Montgomerie as the koala Bunypip Bluegum, and tenor Joshua Morton-Galea as the penguin Sam Sawnoff, to provide some of the vocal highlights of the show. As the dog Benjamin Brandysnap, MCM mezzo-soprano, Brittney Northcott – a singer with a particularly bright future as an outstanding singer and actress – added her rich voice to form a truly excellent quartet in Slice Four.
As the cockatoo Narrator, Rachael Joyce not only sang her solo part with notable sweetness and purity of tone, she also provided a shining descant to the lower voices at one point. Some amplification for the spoken narration at the beginning of the opera would have been helpful, especially when the orchestra played as she spoke, but her singing carried very well. As was the case with all the singers, it appeared that great care had been taken to ensure clear diction.
In MCM opera performances, mezzo-soprano Mia Koutsoumidis has proved to be a daring physical performer with a strong voice and considerable comic flair; she was definitely in her element as the would-be Puddin’ Thief, Watkin Wombat. As her partner in crime, Patrick the Possum, Phoebe Tait was also suitably frenetic and silly. Following Cameron Menzies’ direction, Remount Director Elizabeth Hill-Cooper has choreographed hilarious fight and chase scenes that would have delighted even the youngest audience member. The mayhem of the smoky fire scene in which The Puddin’ Thieves try to create a diversion was hilarious. Although a production full of action, it does have quieter and even humorously sad moments, as in the “Sad Song”. What it doesn’t have is a dull moment.
All cast members: Emma Mueller (Rooster), Alessia Pintabona (Judge/Hedgehog), Matthew O’Leary (Constable) and the chorus performed with great spirit, but Eamon Dooley, the singer with the trickiest role of Albert the Pudding, deserves special commendation for never putting a foot wrong, despite having Albert’s feet attached to his own and having “puppet master” responsibility. He also made creditable vocal contributions to the quartets.
Conducted by Phoebe Briggs, the Victorian Opera Chamber Orchestra was a tight knit ensemble that played with vitality and precision, fine work coming from the trumpet in particular for one of the trios. Outstanding performances by the singers – musically disciplined and vocally powerful as an ensemble – added to the appeal of this highly successful production.
Apart from enthusiastic applause at the end of the performance, only laughter broke the silence as an attentive audience of mainly children sat transfixed. The Norman Lindsay illustration printed on the back of the program sheet was a special souvenir to take home and colour in. That reminds me: Where did I put my coloured pencils?
Photo credit: Casey Horsfield
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Heather Leviston reviewed “The Magic Pudding: The Opera”, presented by Victorian Opera at The Round, Nunawading on May16, 2026.
