Audiences at State Opera South Australia have heard Lucy Stoddart’s voice long before many of them knew her by name. Since joining the company chorus in 2017, the Adelaide soprano has performed in productions ranging from La bohème and Macbeth to Così fan tutte, Lucia di Lammermoor and Roméo et Juliette. 

Now she is moving from the ensemble into featured roles, with her latest assignment in Constantine Costi’s new production of Humperdinck’s Hansel & Gretel marking another important step in her career.

Stoddart will sing the Dew Fairy and the Sandman – two of the opera’s most enchanting figures – alongside an international cast headed by star countertenor Kangmin Justin Kim as Hansel, Sofia Troncoso as Gretel and Catherine Carby in the dual role of the Witch and Mother. It is a significant spotlight moment.

Lucy Stoddart. Portait supplied

Stoddart grew up in a musical household. Becoming a singer was always on the cards, she says, although opera wasn’t the obvious destination. “I’ve always loved storytelling,” Stoddart says. “Anyone who knows me knows I love to have fun. I’m usually the one telling outrageous stories or laughing until I can’t...