In the magnificently shot 1984 American period biographical film, Amadeus, directed by Miloš Forman, Emperor Joseph II famously and amusingly criticizes Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail (The Abduction from the Seraglio) at its premiere in Vienna in 1782 as having “too many notes”.
While doubts about the interpretation of these words may exist, there’s an irony in the way that a new production by Victorian Opera (VO), simply called Abduction, not only trims the title but consolidates the musical content.
It also upends and reimagines Mozart gem with a sassy and seductive angle as it explores the nature of love. As part of a brilliantly crafted staging directed by Constantine Costi (previous VO commissions include Melbourne Cheremushki and Il Mago di Oz), it’s a thoughtfully conceived package with a clear intent to entertain.
Despite the emperor’s words, the opera was a huge success. Gottlieb Stephanie’s libretto – in its exploration of love, fidelity and freedom – sets the scene around the Barbary corsairs’ practice of raiding European ships and taking captives for ransom or sale into slavery. With it, Mozart’s music is a meltingly beautiful confection for vocal virtuosity.
In its original form, the Spanish nobleman Belmonte, with the help of Pedrillo, attempts to rescue his betrothed and kidnapped Konstanze, together with her maid Blonde, from Pasha Selim’s seraglio. They face hurdles from the overseer Osmin, but the Pasha ultimately grants them forgiveness.
Exchanging the questionable cultural assertions and the Pasha’s harem of his Ottoman palace for a contemporary, mysterious, pleasure-seeking club – which Konstanze and Blonde voluntarily enter out of exciting, risk-taking curiosity – Costi effectively draws and sharpens the work’s thematic base with a modern, fresh sensibility.
Costi’s adapted dialogue is both easily accessible and an ongoing hoot. On opening night it was also refreshing to see the average age of an opera audience plummet to what seemed to be under 40.
Once the two young women rush through the theatre aisles in excitable form then hover in front of the club’s heart-shaped entrance, they finally plunge into its velvety draped intrigue and all sorts of heart-shaped details.
Costi’s concept could easily whip up thoughts of Brad and Janet becoming trapped in Frank-N-Furter’s castle or, in a completely different spectrum, the Venusberg of Wagner’s Tannhäuser, where sensuality and earthly pleasures dominate its mythical realm.
The take-home idea is that love is a highly malleable and multi-faceted concept in which such feelings as pain as much as tenderness are part and parcel of the experience. With a whiff of Stockholm syndrome taking effect, the House of the Pasha might also be considered a place of enlightenment.
All the while, the essence and effervescence of Mozart’s work remains intact despite the many reductions and additions present. The choral sublimity of the Kyrie from Mozart’s Mass in C minor and the Allegro con brio from Symphony No. 25 in G minor are amongst such additions.
Interestingly, they also happen to feature in Amadeus, along with two spectacular excerpts from the opera, one of which – Konstanze’s Act 2 Martern aller Arten (Tortures of all kinds) is a feast of vocal fireworks.
Under conductor Chad Kelly and the expert and nimble musicianship of Orchestra Victoria, the score resonates with immense panache and emotivity where required. The percussive interpretations are particularly striking in their depth and complexity.
Set and costume designers Nathan Burmeister and Matilda Woodroofe work a constrained budget with extraordinary richness and allure while Paul Jackson’s assorted lighting creates superbly considered enigmatic qualities. A sweeping staircase through a giant heart-shaped opening and balcony doorways to suggested secluded rooms give added scope to Costi’s smooth-flowing direction.
An all-Australian cast (or those calling it home) making great strides in their careers keep the heart and entertainment lusciously buoyant.
Cleo Lee-McGowan is a sparkling stage presence as the sexually awakened Konstanze. Pure and breezy in her vocal style, she coasts through the fountain of ornamentations with great aplomb and appealing sweetness, making Martern aller Arten the showpiece it deserves as part of a dangerously kinky act of archery.
Katherine Allen is adorably perky and flirtatious as the explorative Blonde and matches her character with a mellifluous, vivacious soprano.
Despite appearing marginally stretched in their vocal delivery, tenors Kyle Stegall and Douglas Kelly are a well-contrasted comical duo as the slick, moisturised Belmonte and roughened diamond Pedrillo respectively.
Düsseldorf-based Luke Stoker makes a formidable company debut in red-fringed chaps and sexually fluid fashion as the Pasha’s chief security guard, Osmin.
Employing his suave, tobacco-tinted bass of compelling strength, Stoker not only delivers O, wie will ich triumphieren (Now, my pretty brace of fellows) with its abrupt octave-leaps between upper and lower registers in astonishing form, but performs with such natural and convincing charm that almost belies the dastardly challenging nature of the role.
Musical theatre star Lyndon Watts sachets through the premises in the unusually spoken but prominent role of the Pasha in androgynously flamboyant style. And, along with their glittering body-fitting suit and billowing blood-clot-like accoutrement, the authority and sage-like power they exert is keenly felt.
Surrounding Watts are six eye-catching bonneted and drapery-tiered attendants, numerous bell-boy attired assistants and a consort of dress-to-express participants who all form the brilliant singing and acting VO Chorus.
And, as an enormously clever adaptation that polishes a more than 240 year old opera with impactful immediacy VO’s Abduction proves that centuries of operatic works can continue to inspire, entertain and beautify contemporary culture.
Abduction
Palais Theatre, Lower Esplanade, St Kilda
Performance: Tuesday 12 August 2025
Season continues to 16 August 2025
Information and Bookings: www.victorianopera.com.au
Images: Katherine Allen (Blonde), Douglas Kelly (Pedrillo), Kyle Stegall (Belmonte), Cleo Lee-McGowan (Konstanze) and the Chorus of Mozart’s Abduction – photo by Jeff Busby | VO Kyle Stegall (Belmonte) and Douglas Kelly (Pedrillo) in Mozart’s Abduction – photo by Jeff Busby | Kyle Stegall (Belmonte) and Cleo Lee-McGowan (Konstanze) in Mozart’s Abduction – photo by Jeff Busby | Cleo Lee-McGowan (Konstanze) in Mozart’s Abduction – photo by Jeff Busby | Lyndon Watts (The Pasha) and the Chorus of Mozart’s Abduction – photo by Jeff Busby
Review: Paul Selar