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A white man with black hair and dark beard wears all black. He's in front of a green background and is looking at a shadow.

Hamlet

20 July – 9 August 2024

One of the greatest plays ever written is now a dazzling new opera.

What a piece of work is a man!

Shakespeare’s searing portrait of a prince in crisis has all the makings of a great opera, and Australian composer Brett Dean has turned it into one.

This is an intense theatrical experience, with a wall of luxurious sound underscoring Hamlet’s splintering sanity. 

Neil Armfield (Opera Australia’s 2013 The Ring Cycle) created this acclaimed production for the famed Glyndebourne opera house in the UK, collaborating with his regular design team Ralph Myers and Alice Babbage to produce a slick royal court with darkness at its heart.

Allan Clayton reprises his “mesmerising” performance in the title role with Lorina Gore as his “spellbinding” Ophelia.

Presented by Opera Australia

A white man with black hair and dark beard wears all black. He's in front of a green background and is looking at a shadow.

Trailer

Artist information

Composer
Brett Dean

Libretto
Matthew Jocelyn

Conductor
Tim Anderson

Director
Neil Armfield

Set Designer
Ralph Myers

Costume Designer
Alice Babidge

Lighting Designer
Jon Clark

Sound Designer
Bob Scott

Movement Director
Denni Sayers

Hamlet
Allan Clayton

Ophelia
Lorina Gore

Claudius
Rod Gilfry

Laertes
Nicholas Jones

Polonius
Kanen Breen

Horatio
Samuel Dundas

Opera Australia Orchestra
Opera Australia Chorus

This season of Hamlet is dedicated to Jacqueline Dark (1968-2023). Jacqui was due to perform the role of Gertrude in this production before her passing.

Other information

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