State Opera South Australia is holding an open audition for local actors to feature in their upcoming season of the world’s most popular contemporary opera, Flight – the story that inspired the 2004 film The Terminal, starring Tom Hanks.
State Opera Artistic Director, Dane Lam said that this was an opportunity to support home grown talent on the world stage, with the paid opportunity giving local actors of all nationalities and ages the opportunity to secure one of the coveted 10 roles.
Local actors are invited to submit their applications via the online form available on the State Opera website, which requires a current headshot, CV, and contact details, with an online audition with director Stephen Barlow scheduled in early March.
“These actors will appear on stage at Her Majesty’s Theatre as passengers, crew and airport staff, supporting the globally acclaimed cast in the retelling of this powerful and uplifting story,” said Lam. “It is a phenomenal opportunity and I’m excited to see the calibre of acting talent Adelaide has to offer, and who knows, maybe we’ll discover the next star!“
Set in an airport terminal during a raging storm, Flight explores the lives of ten people who are stranded together. A rich ensemble of characters, including two married couples, a lovelorn woman, and a pair of flight attendants, all watched over by an ever-observant Controller and a relentless Immigration Officer form the main cast.
Unable to escape the airport and each other, the story centres on a stateless refugee and the everyday people whose lives quickly intertwine over the course of one memorable and life-changing night.
Lam said that the production features an outstanding cast, many of whom will debut with the company, to bring this contemporary masterpiece to life.
“I want to bring some of the brightest voices across the globe to the Adelaide stage to create an unforgettable experience for our local audiences to enjoy. The characters they play develop a rich tapestry for storytelling and I’m delighted to announce this cast today,” said Lam.
One of the hottest countertenor voices on the worldwide operatic scene, James Laing is the Refugee in his debut role with State Opera. Reprising the role after performing it with Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Opera Holland Park and Scottish Opera with rave reviews, Laing said that this was one of his favourite roles to perform.
Australian soprano Anna Voshege, praised all over the world for her fluid coloratura, also debuts with State Opera as the God-like and icy Controller, whose arias reach stratospheric heights delivering spectacular high notes floating above the non-stop action!
Award-winning soprano Nina Korbe is Tina. Korbe has established herself as one of Australia’s leading young sopranos, delighting critics and audiences in both her operatic and musical theatre performances, most recently as Maria in West Side Story on the Sydney Harbour.
Her character Tina is desperate to rekindle romance with her partner Bill, played by Henry Choo. The character Bill is an audience favourite and cast beautifully with Choo who is one of Australia’s most versatile lyric tenors and a multiple Greenroom Award nominee.
Local mezzo-soprano Cherie Boogaart, is The Older Woman. Unlike her adventure buddies, this middle-aged divorcée, twice-married, has no intention of flying; she is waiting for her fiancé, a 22-year-old barman she met on holiday in Majorca, to come sweep her away – half-believing in miracles, half-knowing she’s deluding herself.
The Steward and Stewardess bring some spicy comedy to the tale. The secret lovers will be seen slipping away to some secluded corner to carry on their steamy affair. Samuel Dale Johnson (The Steward) is one of the leading young baritones with a voice described by Bachtrack as “gloriously lyrical.”
Perth-born Ashlyn Tymms (The Stewardess) debuts with the company and audiences can expect to hear her velvety mezzo-soprano voice, alongside her wonderful stage presence and acting abilities, she is guaranteed to breathe life into the frisky and highly amusing Stewardess role.
Local performers Jeremy Tatchell and Fiona McArdle are the married Minskman and Minskwoman (who is heavily pregnant). Hope and dread follow these two characters as they transit to their new life, heading for a new diplomatic posting in cold, boring Minsk.
Award-winning local opera star, Teddy Tahu Rhodes rounds out the main cast in a cameo role as the Immigration Officer, who is searching for the elusive Refugee as he patrols the concourse.
The Scottish Opera production of Jonathan Dove’s Flight is led by Australian Director Stephen Barlow and promises a captivating blend of drama, humour, and profound beauty with a storyline that straddles comedy and tragedy.
Originally commissioned by Glyndebourne Opera in the hope that Dove would create a modern-day Marriage of Figaro, Flight merges tears and laughter whilst holding up a mirror to society.
Dove’s score is full of show-stopping moments, borrowing liberally from all kinds of musical styles, however firmly setting its place as an opera. April De Angelis’ libretto is peppered with revealing small talk, zingy one-liners and dazzling moments of poetry that are sure to entertain.
“Flight captures the essence of humanity in its most vulnerable state, and we’re looking for a range of people who will support this outstanding cast to portray a myriad of life’s different characters for an unforgettable season,” said Lam.
Flight returns to Adelaide almost 20 years after its Australian premiere at the Adelaide Festival in 2006, with a powerful production never before seen in the Southern Hemisphere. Buckle up for a fabulous night at the opera that is guaranteed to resonate long after the final curtain falls!
Flight
Her Majesty’s Theatre, 58 Grote Street, Adelaide
Season: 8 – 10 May 2025
Information and Bookings: www.stateopera.com.au
Image: Flight (Scottish Opera, 2018) – photo by James Glossop