Opera Queensland and West Australian Opera presents Puccini’s La Bohème

Lyric Theatre, QPAC

4th-13th Sept 2025

Dr Gemma Regan

An Italian Gem polished to perfection by Australian talent

Puccini’s heart-rending opera La Bohème is the Labubu of the month with both a co-production between Opera Queensland and West Australian Opera plus Opera Australia performing their own perfectly crafted versions simultaneously in Brisbane and in Sydney. It is one of the few “must see” beloved operas for both aficionados and noobies and despite its popularity Opera Queensland have managed to re-engineer and tweak it to be as fresh as crisp as the Winter snow in the opening scene. 

The production was first shown in Perth in 2023 and now Queenslanders have the opportunity to bear witness to Director Matt Reuben James Ward’s delicious version. Reimagined in 1920’s Paris rather than the 1830’s, it focuses on four artistic bohemians struggling to survive even burning their own works to heat their poverty-stricken home. The immense passion between poet Rodolfo and the ailing seamstress Mimì warms the hearts of the Bohemians and features some of the most well-known arias and duets ever composed.

There are a few stars from the original Perth cast with Elena Perroni reprising her role as the delicate Mimì with aplomb and Samuel Dundas, who is fabulous as Marcello. Joining the cast are the Italian Valerio Borgioni as Rodolfo and the award-winning First Nations soprano Nina Korbe as Musetta.

All of the arias are beautiful and Perroni and Borgioni’s duet of Che gelida mania (What a frozen little hand) when they first meet is divine and Perroni’s  Sì, mi chiamano (Yes, they call me Mimi) is likewise delicious.

The vibrant tones of Korbe with Quando m’en vo (When I go along) is well cast and impishly delivered as the divisive Musetta. Dundas’ rotund and buoyant voice is incredible to hear live and he commands the stage stealing the limelight from the protagonists.

Puccini’s famously well-orchestrated opera was delivered spectacularly by the ever-inventive Queensland Symphony Orchestra who were hidden in the pit below. Fortunately, the passionate latin vigour of the Italian QSO conductor Umberto Clerici could be witnessed as his two hands and baton waved frantically below the stage and the mighty orchestra responded in spades. The 50-strong Opera Queensland Chorus of children to mature adults were equally effusive under the guidance of Chorus Master Narelle French.

The set and costumes of Charles Davis are equally impressive, with every one of the fifty-plus cast resplendent in their finery of the 1920’s. A large greenhouse structure on a revolving floor easily transformed from a poor shack to a busy Parisian café enabling scenes to be seen from both in and outside the transparent structure. The clever lighting by Christine Felmingham used flickering flames and a back-lit stage to conjure eerie and ominous portentous shadows.

Having seen the Italian production of La Boheme at the Venice Opera House just before it burned down, I was sceptical of how an Australian production would fare to one so grand, delivered in the mother-tongue. Fortunately, I loved the production bolstered by a fantastic orchestra and cast with the added benefit of a translated Libretto above the stage for the many who aren’t fluent in Italian.

If you love opera and especially if you have never seen an opera this production, supported by the QPAC 40 program, is the one to see and bear witness to a fabulous Australian twist of an Italian gem!