Here’s an experience to ponder. Long story short, I recently attained the rank of dad, so my review partner for this performance was not my wife but a friend keen to tag along.

I’ll admit I was feeling a little unexcited at the prospect of being bohème-ed by Puccini once again (how many versions have I seen now?), but watching it beside my never-seen-an-opera friend was genuinely eye-opening.

For him, the twists and turns were a revelation, and the sheer vocal ability of the singers was a shock. More fool me, then: his enthusiasm for the pizzazz and drama on stage gave me a shake-up and helped me see this performance with fresh eyes.

A co-production between Opera Queensland and West Australian Opera, and conducted by the QSO’s Umberto Clerici, this staging was first seen in Perth in 2023. Limelight raved about it at the time, noting: “Yes, this is possibly the most popular opera ever written, and you’ve probably seen countless productions. But not this one.”

Here, in Opera Queensland’s presentation, a few names have returned from the Perth cast: Elena Perroni reprises her Mimì and Samuel Dundas his Marcello; joining the cast are Valerio Borgioni as Rodolfo and Nina Korbe...