Dido & Aeneas is a love story for the ages. Bringing together exhilarating acrobatics and extraordinary music, this production is an opera for today.
Aeneas is a hero caught between his destiny and desire. Dido is the woman he must leave behind. For these star-crossed lovers, fate and romance are on a collision course, and when the smoke clears, Dido’s heart is found among the wreckage.
Purcell’s early opera gave the world one of the most poignant scores ever written and laid the foundation for every opera that came after.
Now, experience the power of Dido & Aeneas in a new staging from Artistic Director Yaron Lifschitz, which sets “a new benchmark for opera production in Australia ” (Limelight). Expect jaw-dropping physical feats from Circa’s talented ensemble alongside stunning voices.
ABOUT
World premiere Brisbane, Australia – July, 2024
Duration 70 minutes
Reviews
★★★★★
“A new benchmark for opera production in Australia.” – Limelight
★★★★
“Sublime, erotic, dangerous: 80 minutes of baroque astonishment.” – Sydney Morning Herald
“A privilege to witness.” – InReview
“Each and every member of the company…brings a level of virtuosity to their work” – Nothing Ever Happens in Brisbane
“Heartbreaking, tempestuous and surreal” – Nothing Ever Happens in Brisbane
Acknowledgements
CREATIVE TEAM
Conductor Benjamin Bayl
Director and Stage Design Yaron Lifschitz
Costume Design Libby McDonnell
Lighting Design Matthew Marshall
Associate Director Rani Luther
Circa Associate Director Benjamin Knapton
Chorus Master Narelle French
CAST
Dido Anna Dowsley
Aeneas Sebastian Maclaine
Ensemble of Opera Queensland and Circa artists
Queensland Symphony Orchestra
Circa acknowledges the assistance of the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body and the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland.
Dido and Aeneas is supported by the Frazer Family Foundation
Tour Dates
| Date | City | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 13th - 29th March 2025 | Sydney, NSW, Australia | Sydney Opera House |
Past Dates
| Date | City | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 11th - 27th July 2024 | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | The Playhouse, QPAC |