The Eighth Wonder celebrates our glorious “cathedral”, the Sydney Opera House, and its history on its very own steps. As the audience take in the performance rising above it all in the most stunning of stage backdrops are the sails of the House itself- something truly spectacular.
Entering the space you are given a small radio device, pre-programmed and tuned in to the broadcast frequency, before heading over to pick up a pair of Audio Technica headphones. After settling into your seats you can really begin to appreciate where you are. The 7:30 daylight savings start meant that the sky was slowly fading into a brilliant sunset dotted by clouds before turning into the darkening sky. The Harbour Bridge stood in all its glory off to the side, and the feeling of the water of the harbour and surrounds really felt remarkable. Nothing compares to staring the Opera House full in the face.
The opera itself plays out on the steps, with characters climbing up and down those “Aztec inspired” multitudes. Custom-built sliding stages are wheeled by a multitude of hands on and off the steps to give some set placement and behind it all is a blown up screen (kinda of like a jumping castle really) on which was projected historical footage and one of my favourite parts of the production- a montage of Utzon’s initial inspiration and clarity through the piece of an orange.
I had my doubts about the sound through headphones- would it lose it’s feeling? All the emotion? Opera, which is traditionally performed without mics, now broadcast through a radio frequency? But, although perhaps not comparable, the sound was no less impressive and far more intimate. If I did feel I was losing the experience of being “right there” I simply pulled off the headphones for a few moments and appreciated the voices- still heard throughout the forecourt and carried on the wind.
And lets be honest- who hasn’t dreamt of a theatre experience where nobody whispers around you, crinkles candy wrappers, or the old opera favourite- the incessant cough! With headphones all of this is drowned out and you’re left blissfully free in your own little sound space. This was perhaps my very favourite part of this new experience. A close second were the interesting facts about the building- for example Utzon’s desire for so many steps was so that it emulated the audience approaching performances like pilgrims. BOW BEFORE OPERA!
Unfortunately though, I just couldn’t get into the opera itself. The story, although based in interesting historical facts, drags, and the characters are a tad flat- I felt no connection to their plights, no support or frustration for their trials. The dialogue became rather irksome- potentially because of the somewhat painful Australian idioms, perhaps because I’m still not used to opera in English! Whatever the reason I just found it all somewhat wanting.
Overall the experience is an incredible one- one reminiscent of the feeling of the magnificence of Handa Opera on the Harbour. But the opera itself? “It’s just”.
The Eighth Wonder: Sydney Opera House – The Opera was performed on steps of the Sydney Opera House from October 28th to November 5th. For more information visit opera.org.au
The reviewer attended the performance on the 3rd November.
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