Opera Australia presents The Tales of Hoffman

Hoffman is tipsy and in the mood for storytelling. He’ll tell you of his four great loves: a wind-up doll, an innocent singer, a cruel courtesan … and the woman who combines them all. But who is his mysterious muse? And the evil shadow that dogs his every move?

This is the The Tales of Hoffmann: Offenbach’s last and greatest work. It’s an intoxicating mix of emotion and dazzling music, including the famous, fiendishly difficult ‘Doll Song’.

Homegrown superstar soprano Jessica Pratt returns to Australia to sing all the female leads. It’s a rare soprano who can sing these roles and bring you deep into Offenbach’s emotional world. Pratt follows in the footsteps of Joan Sutherland and a handful of other stars who can pull it off. “Pratt… [sings] all the female roles with an irresistible french loaded with dramatic truth and with a vocal mastery worthy of the greatest” - ConcertoNet. Jean Francois-Barros sings the title character and Marko Mimica sings the four villains.

Celebrated director Damiano Michieletto (Il Viaggio a Reims) creates a brand new production of this beloved opera. Elaborate sets depicting Hoffmann’s three worlds will be designed and built by our team in Australia before travelling to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Carlo Montanaro conducts.

A Co-Production between Opera Australia and The Royal Opera House Covent Garden.