Wagner devotees are busy acclimatising to Brisbane’s sub-tropical air for the opening night performance of Chinese director Chen Shi-Zheng’s production of Wagner’s epic Ring Cycle.

Opera Australia’s 2023 Ring Cycle. Photo © Wallis Media

After two COVID-induced postponements in 2020 and 2021, the most ambitious production in Opera Australia’s history will be revealed at Brisbane’s Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) tonight.

Prior to the premiere, OA’s CEO Fiona Allan paid tribute to the tenacity of the Ring-forging team. “They say it takes a village, and this is the most extreme example I have ever seen of a professional village coming together, and sticking together through the darkest hours of the pandemic, to finally bring this incredible production to the stage.”

The production is expected to be a boon for the local economy, providing an injection of an estimated $16.5 million into the culture and hospitality sectors.

With 27 semi-trailer loads of technical equipment, costumes, stage pieces and props all transported from Sydney, 14 tonnes of LED screens, and more than 350 cast, musicians and support crew required to stage all four operas (45 hours of performance in total), OA’s Ring...