15 May 2026
Her Majesty's Theatre
Adelaide
Opera
I should preface this review by saying that I won tickets to see this performance after completing a survey for the State Opera SA earlier in the year. The prize was a double pass to all five of the city-based main season productions for 2026, so I will have more reviews to follow as the year progresses, and will then also share a wrap-up post with my thoughts on the season overall. But for now, onto Norma....
Before seeing this production, I was familiar with some of the music from Norma, including, of course, the iconic "Casta Diva" aria, but I had not seen a full performance. This was a one-night-only concert version, although, in place of a set, projections were used on the back of the stage and on panels that descended above the singers. Rather than the traditional druids and Romans, the setting was moved to space, the Romans replaced by Commanders overseeing a space settlement. I am guessing this was due to the collaboration on the projections, but otherwise, I couldn't see the need to change the setting, especially in a concert presentation. It didn't add anything to my mind, but at the same time I wasn't overly against it. The projections were mostly static, except for an opening sequence during the overture. The only one that confused me where what looked like rows of lettuces. I eventually decided it was supposed to be a greenhouse-type scenario. But at first I wondered why everyone kept hanging out in food storage to sing their songs!
The background aside, the music was the key focus of this production. The ASO played beautifully; although, there were a couple of moments when I felt they could have played forte instead of fortissimo, as they drowned out the singers a little. The singers all did a wonderful job. I particularly liked Helena Dix as Norma and Miriam Albano as Adalgisa. Their duets were a delight. All up, it was a superb performance from a musical perspective.
After the exorbitant price of $18 for a programme at Cinderella, I had wondered whether to break my tradition of always buying a programme at Norma and just take a photo of the cast board in the foyer instead, but, to my delight, for this performance slim leaflets featuring just the cast/creative lists and a brief synopsis were handed out for free. That is really all that is needed, and I wish they would do that for all performances, like in the old days when there was a slip of paper on your seats with cast list.
In conclusion, this was a delightful performance and I am giving it 4.5 stars.
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