In what has been a highly successful first year for Artistic Director Stuart Maunder, State Opera South Australia has chosen to end the season with a thematically appropriate double header in Gilbert & Sullivan’s cautionary comic if slightly off-colour The Mikado and Puccini’s greatest intimate tragedy Madama Butterfly. And both choices are rather timely given the current international political climate. However, whilst The Mikado seeks to update the milieu to a ‘bubble pink’ post-modern confection to make it easier for the contemporary audience to digest the unpalatable politics and cultural differences, with Puccini, it’s personal tragedy where the traditional idea of honour looms above all else.

Mariana Hong with Douglas McNicol and Angus Wood. Photograph @Soda Street Productions

With this production of Butterfly directed by Kate Cherry after highly successful runs in both New Zealand and Seattle, there exists a balance between the traditional mounting of this tale and Cio-Cio San’s personal tragedy viewed through the eyes of the post-feminist. In interviews, Cherry has told of her fascination for the faithful ‘wife’ awaiting the return of her spouse. Indeed, this was an idea that inspired Monteverdi (The Return of Ulysses). Add to this...