To complete its 2026 summer season, Opera Australia’s is offering a gloriously sung and lavishly staged production of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin. It is a production that lingers in the mind long after the final curtain, although not necessarily because of the way it embraces the emotional heart of Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece.
This production was first premiered by Opera Australia in the Sydney Opera House in 2014. Even then, interpolations introduced by the original director, Kasper Holten, created controversy. Rightfully, these interpolations are retained by the revival director, Heather Fairbairn, and not unexpectedly, have been met with similar audience responses as previously.
Some question Holten’s decision to introduce two young dancers to interpret Tatyana and Onegin’s memories of their youthful responses to each other. As prettily as Keely Tennyson and Brayden Harry dance these moments, many found their presence intrusive, confusing, even distracting.
As Onegin, Andrei Bondarenko’s burnished baritone is perfectly suited to the character’s aloof elegance. However, the cool detachment exhibited by his Onegin towards Tatyana in the early scenes, raises questions as to what it was about Onegin that aroused such passionate feelings in the youthful Tatyana.
Holten’s positioning of Tatyana directly facing Onegin and Olga during the ballroom scene, making it impossible for her to avoid watching their obvious flirting, made their actions appear particularly malicious and hurtful.
His staging of the duel scene makes it difficult to escape the impression that Onegin is more interested in the young poet, Lensky, than in Tatyana. Despite his declarations, it is only after Lensky’s death that Onegin exhibits any feelings for Tatyana.
As Tatyana, Lauren Fagan is a revelation. Her vocal tone is warm and luminous and carries the ache of youthful longing without tipping into sentimentality. In Fagan’s hands the famous “letter scene” becomes not only a masterclass in vocal control and emotional vulnerability, but also the evening’s emotional fulcrum as she charts her character’s journey from youthful infatuation to dignified resolve.
It is Nicholas Jones as Lensky, in a passionate and brilliantly sung portrayal, who raises the temperature with his unrestrained jealousy. Enraged at the sight of Onegin’s wilful flirtation with Olga, he flings a ballroom chair across the room smashing it to pieces, tears a bookcase door from its hinges, before challenging Onegin to the duel that results in his death.
Prior to the duel, Lensky’s second-act aria, was delivered with such unguarded sincerity by Jones that the audience was compelled to hold its collective breath at his remarkable ability to marry vocal beauty with dramatic truth. His extraordinary self-control, required to lie motionless as Lensky’s corpse throughout most of the second act also attracted admirable comment.
Surrounding the three protagonists, Sian Sharp delighted as Tatyana’s vivacious younger sister, Olga, the unwitting catalyst for the feud between Onegin and Lensky. David Parkin impressed as Tatyana’s dignified husband Gremin, even though Holten’s decision to have Gremin overhear Tatyana’s declaration of love for Onegin, provided Tatyana with an additional problem not envisaged by Tchaikovsky.
Helen Sherman as Tatyana’s mother, Larina, Angela Hogan as the sister’s nurse, Filipyevna, and Elias Wilson as Monsieur Triquet, who sings the song composed by Lensky for Tatyana name day, all complimented fine singing with well-rounded characterisations.
Conducting her first opera for Opera Australia, Anna Skryleva marshalled her resources to telling effect, allowing Tchaikovsky’s magnificent score to breathe, while still maintaining dramatic momentum. The Opera Australia Orchestra responded with playing of shimmering colour and emotional depth, as did the Opera Australia chorus which thrilled with its usual rich, full-bodied singing.
Regardless of your response to aspects of Holten’s vision for this opera, there can be little argument that Opera Australia has done the composer proud with this gloriously sung and lavishly mounted production, which is not only visually and aurally satisfying, but which also challenges the viewer to reflect deeply on the nature of love, passion and the responsibility of opera directors to regard the composer’s intentions.
Eugene Onegin
Joan Sutherland Theatre – Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney
Season continues to 28 Match 2026
Information and Bookings: www.opera.org.au
Images: Brayden Harry as Young Onegin, Keeley Tennyson as Young Tatyana and Lauren Fagan as Tatyana in Opera Australia’s production of Eugene Onegin (2026) – photo by Keith Saunders | Brayden Harry as Young Onegin, Clifford Plumpton as Guillot, Andrei Bondarenko as Onegin and Nicholas Jones as Lensky in Opera Australia’s production of Eugene Onegin (2026) – photo by Keith Saunders | Lauren Fagan as Tatyana and Opera Australia Chorus in Opera Australia’s production of Eugene Onegin (2026) – photo by Keith Saunders | Andrei Bondarenko as Onegin and Nicholas Jones as Lensky in Opera Australia’s production of Eugene Onegin (2026) – photo by Keith Saunders | Angela Hogan as Filipyevna, Helen Sherman as Larina and Sian Sharp as Olga in Opera Australia’s production of Eugene Onegin (2026) – photo by Keith Saunders
Review: Bill Stephens OAM