With its libretto about two Western women’s capture and enslavement in the “exotic” East, Mozart’s Abduction from the Seraglio is understandably not often performed these days.

Rather than deny audiences the pleasure of his music, however, Victorian Opera offers a clever adaptation that removes the opera’s offensive elements while retaining its danger and desire. Simply called Abduction, this fresh, contemporary take also elevates the theme of self-discovery.

It’s interpreted by an excellent Australian cast, including two nipping home from European careers, in a production with a sumptuous, sexy design that belies its tight budget.

Luke Stoker and chorus in Victorian Opera’s Abduction. Photo © Jeff Busby

Director Constantine Costi has overhauled the spoken parts of Mozart’s Singspiel (sung-spoken) opera, so that friends Konstanze and Blonde merely slip away from their nice but boring fiancés, Belmonte and Pedrillo.

They enter the notorious mansion of The Pasha, whose hedonistic parties verge on cult-like admiration for the host. While Belmonte and Pedrillo bumble through a “rescue” attempt, Konstanze is both wooed and philosophically challenged...