The Nightingale and Other Fables

The world’s greatest directors can breathe new life into beloved classics. Few can do so like Robert Lepage.

Returning to Adelaide Festival for the first time since 2018, the internationally acclaimed Canadian auteur brings his brilliant imagination and a lush aesthetic to Igor Stravinsky’s The Nightingale and Other Fables.

The Nightingale, Stravinsky’s first opera, was written between 1908-13 during the composer’s Russian period, at the same time as he was working on some of his greatest masterpieces, such as The Firebird and The Rite of Spring. Inspired by a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, this enchanting work is blended with Russian fables and musical influences from Asia, Europe and early jazz from America.

Stories unfurl through acrobatic shadow play and Taiwanese hand puppets, before moving on to the ancient art of Vietnamese water puppetry for the spectacular telling of The Nightingale, set on a beautiful lake created in the confines of the theatre.

These stunning visual elements are the perfect complement to Stravinsky’s music, brought to life by a superb cast of singers from Ukraine, the United States, Canada and Australia, the State Opera South Australia Chorus and Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. It’s a true feast for the senses.

With exquisite music, enchanting puppetry and captivating stories, this magical work combines the best of Stravinsky and the imagination of Lepage in a program that will delight audiences of all ages.

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