Hotel Pro Forma OPERATION:ORFEO

A Visual Opera in Three Movements First performed in Melbourne, in 1997 as part of the Melbourne International Arts Festival, this landmark production celebrates 30 years since that season with a return to the Ian Potter State Theatre. OPERATION:ORFEO reimagines opera through a striking fusion of music, visual art and performance. With 2026 Director Marie Dahl maintaining the concept and direction of Kirsten Dehlholm (1945-2024), it is one of the most internationally celebrated works in Danish theatre history by renowned company Hotel Pro Forma. Inspired by the ancient myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, and featuring the Latvian Radio Choir, the work replaces conventional narrative with a sequence of powerful images, light, and symphonic voice, arranged like a piece of moving visual art rather than a staged narrative. Cast Vocal Ensemble Latvian Radio Choir Conductor Sigvards Klava Solo Singer Baiba Renerte Solo Dancer Lisbeth Sonne Andersen Credits Concept, Direction Kirsten Dehlholm (1945-2024) Direction, 2026 Marie Dahl Libretto Ib Michael Music, Composition & Arrangement Bo Holten Music, Excerpts John Cage, Christoph Willibald Gluck Set Design Maja Ravn Light Design Jesper Kongshaug Costumes Annette Meyer Sound Design Kristian Hverring Choreography for Solo Dancer Anita Saij Production Hotel Pro Forma Producer Lisbeth Jacobi Photos Roberto Fortuna This gut-wrenching beautiful work… teases out key elements of an ancient story, elaborating them into hypnotic patterns based on the true irreducible fundamentals of the theatrical process: bodies moving in time and space… Without a doubt one of the greatest experiences I have ever had in the theatre. The Sydney Morning Herald The performance is transformed by the Latvian Radio Choir into a manifesto of the most powerful musical instrument – the human voice... OPERATION:ORFEO is a world class show. The Independent Riga The Danish theatre company Hotel Pro Forma dematerialises the myth of Orpheus to the point of abstraction... All that is left is the essence: staggering music and breathtaking beauty. Dernieres Nouvelles d'Alsace This gut-wrenching beautiful work… teases out key elements of an ancient story, elaborating them into hypnotic patterns based on the true irreducible fundamentals of the theatrical process: bodies moving in time and space… Without a doubt one of the greatest experiences I have ever had in the theatre. The Sydney Morning Herald The performance is transformed by the Latvian Radio Choir into a manifesto of the most powerful musical instrument – the human voice... OPERATION:ORFEO is a world class show. The Independent Riga The Danish theatre company Hotel Pro Forma dematerialises the myth of Orpheus to the point of abstraction... All that is left is the essence: staggering music and breathtaking beauty. Dernieres Nouvelles d'Alsace Notes Age suitability: This show is recommended for ages 14+. Content warning: This show contains the use of lasers.