None shall sleep on Sydney harbour as Potra brings a bit of Chinese spice to bear on Puccini’s classic love story.

Every time I start working on a new production I always feel like it’s got to have a bit of magic that is captivating and surprising. If I don’t feel that sparkle then it all feels fake. Opera is an interesting genre to sink your teeth into as a designer because it’s a finer art. In other words, you have to understand its place within a creative timeline. For me, for instance, it means bringing a daring kind of mood to the set for a production; something that reveals and helps tell the story in a way that hasn’t been thought of before. If it’s controversial, or it makes people think and question, then I’m happy. To be ignored is to die!

I worry that opera is often treated as an artifact – like something that should be in a glass case, which no one is allowed to touch unless they have the white gloves on. But it’s vital that we rediscover the original spirit of these works – opera was the rock and roll of its day....