Pinchgut Opera returns to Roslyn Packer Theatre with Cavalli’s fun-filled 17th-century opera Egisto, a gloriously unpredictable tale of tangled affections, meddlesome gods and love gone wrong.
After a year in captivity, Egisto and Climene return to the island of Zakynthos, hoping to reunite with the lovers they left behind. Instead, they discover that Clori and Lidio have fallen for one another, while Venus and Cupid are determined to complicate matters further. As affections shift and jealousies flare, Egisto is driven from heartbreak into one of opera’s most extraordinary scenes of madness. The story weaves together romantic comedy, fantasy and moments of unexpected poignancy, in a wonderfully unpredictable tale of love, passion and human folly.
Australian tenor Michael Petruccelli leads an exceptional ensemble, joined by US-based Australian soprano Morgan Balfour and acclaimed American tenor Zachary Wilder in his Pinchgut debut.
Legendary Australian director Neil Armfield brings his distinctive theatrical imagination to this deliciously human story, revealing the emotional truth beneath the comedy in a journey from confusion and heartbreak towards forgiveness, clarity and joy.
At the heart of it all is Cavalli’s extraordinary music, brought vividly to life by the Orchestra of the Antipodes on period instruments, bringing colour, energy and emotional depth to this richly imagined world.
Four lovers. Two broken promises. One very meddlesome god.
