The Ring Cycle
We’re bringing a new production of the Ring Cycle to Brisbane in 2021, exclusive to the Queensland Performing Arts Centre.
2021
Lyric Theatre, Queensland Performing Arts Centre
Coronavirus (COVID-19) update
Due to the ongoing restrictions in place to fight the COVID-19 pandemic we have made the difficult decision to postpone the Ring Cycle and Aida in Brisbane until 2021. We are currently finalising new dates, and look forward to announcing them in the coming weeks. If you hold tickets to a postponed performance, you will receive an email advising you of your options.
Updated Thursday 30 July.
Come on an exhilarating adventure with men and maidens, gods and giants, dragons and dwarves. As greed and violence threaten to destroy the heavens and earth, a glimmer of hope rises from an unexpected source.
This is Wagner’s Ring Cycle — the pinnacle of opera — a 15-hour epic performed over four nights.
Enjoy a week in sunny Queensland and see a spectacular new production by visionary Chinese director Chen Shi-Zheng.
In 2021, he'll explore Wagner's legendary tale through a futuristic lens. His global vision imagines a parallel universe where many cultures walk together. Towering, moving digital panels create an immersive virtual world. Astonishing costumes and props imagine an unknown future.
French conductor Philippe Auguin has conducted the Ring Cycle more than a dozen times. He leads a cast of international stars including Vitalij Kowaljow, Stefan Vinke and Allison Oakes.
They join some of Australia's most accomplished performers to bring you the memorable music of the Ring Cycle.
The Operas
Das Rheingold
The Ring Cycle opens with this magnificent prelude. The struggle for power and wealth in Das Rheingold irrevocably alters the order of the universe and determines the course of the entire saga.
Running time: approximately 2 hours & 30 minutes, with no interval
Die Walküre
The second opera in the Ring Cycle holds special appeal for audiences with its dramatic power and remarkable music, including the famous ‘Ride of the Valkyries’. In Die Walküre Wagner plunges headlong into the highly emotional world of humanity.
Running time: approximately 5 hours & 45 minutes, including two intervals of 75 and 40 minutes
Siegfried
The Ring Cycle’s third part is intensely focused on the fortunes of a single figure. Siegfried charts the rise of the son of Siegmund and Sieglinde into the greatest hero of the age.
Running time: approximately 6 hours, including two intervals of 75 and 30 minutes
Götterdämmerung
The Ring Cycle reaches its devastating finale in Götterdämmerung’s tale of treachery and destruction. All seems lost after naked ambition betrays love, and villains outsmart heroes.
Running time: approximately 6 hours & 40 minutes, including two intervals of 90 and 35 minutes
Photo by Jake Terrey.
Prices
The Ring Cycle is a special event and is not part of Opera Australia’s regular season. Each Ring Cycle is sold as a 4-opera series and tickets are available for complete 4-opera cycles only. Concessions are not available.
Premium $2200
A Reserve $1800
B Reserve $1000
C Reserve $380
Hotel offers
Travelling to Brisbane? We partnered with Adina Apartment Hotel Brisbane, The Calile Hotel and Emporium Hotel to offer you premium accommodation for your stay in Brisbane.
Chen Shi-Zheng on what directing the Ring Cycle means to him
The Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) in Brisbane. Photo: Tourism and Events Queensland
Explore Brisbane and Queensland
Beautiful one day, perfect the next.
Queensland is home to a diverse range of experiences, from golden beaches and tropical islands to emerald green rainforests and rugged mountain ranges.
Between each opera, or before or after the Ring Cycle, add a trip to one of the many remarkable destinations easily accessible from Brisbane, including the Hinterland, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Whitsundays and Tropical North Queensland.
Brisbane itself has been energised by a raft of glittering new hotels, restaurants and events. Tucked beneath the Story Bridge, Howard Smith Wharves has been transformed into a stunningly picturesque boardwalk of restaurants, a brewery and a hotel that hugs the contours of the magnificent cliffs. The city offers up a thriving restaurant scene. Let a renowned Michelin chef take you on a gastronomic adventure through local produce and tradition Indian fare at Heritij in the new W Hotel. Sip wine straight off the wood at City Winery. Savour a mouth-watering degustation at a hidden ultra-modern Japanese restaurant and bar, Honto. And finish with an expertly crafted cocktail at glamorous rooftop bar The Terrace at Emporium Hotel.
After you've had your fill, hit California-cool shopping precinct James Street. The boutique shopping strip is renowned for Australian fashion, sought-after coffee and is centred around The Calile, a new resort-style hotel inspired by Palm Springs. No trip is complete without a cruise down the winding riverwhere local neighbourhoods vary from bohemia to European village. And the city’s beloved modern art gallery, GOMA, is an absolute must-see, transforming into a glowing rainbow beacon at twilight.
If you’re looking to swap the city bustle for a countryside escape, set the GPS to world heritage rainforests, idyllic islands, foodie trails and charming towns. You’ll find it all in Brisbane — the river city on the rise.
Explore Queensland
Kangaroos at Cape Hillsborough beach near Mackay in Queensland. Photo: Tourism and Events Queensland
Wathumba Creek on Fraser Island in South East Queensland. Photo: Tourism and Events Queensland
Lady Musgrave Island near Gladstone in Queensland. Photo: Tourism and Events Queensland
Fairy lights in the City Botanic Gardens in Brisbane. Photo: Tourism and Events Queensland
| Conductor | Philippe Auguin |
| director & production designer | |
| digital content designer | Leigh Sachwitz / flora&faunavisions |
| costume designer | Anita Yavich |
| Lighting Designer | John Rayment |
| assistant directors | |
| Matthew Barclay | |
| Choreographer | Akasia Ruthy Inchaustegui |
| Assistant Choreographer | Danang Pamungkas |
| wotan / wanderer | Vitalij Kowaljow |
| brÜnnhilde | Allison Oakes |
| Siegfried | Stefan Vinke |
| alberich | Warwick Fyfe |
| mime | Andreas Conrad |
| Siegmund | Rosario La Spina |
| sieglinde | Anna-Louise Cole |
| Fasolt / hagen | Daniel Sumegi |
| gunther | Luke Gabbedy |
| Gutrune | Maija Kovalevska |
| loge | Hubert Francis |
| Fricka | Jacqueline Dark |
| fafner / hunding | Donald Thomson |
| donner | Andrew Moran |
| Froh | Dean Bassett |
| freia / helmwige | Mariana Hong |
| erda | Liane Keegan |
| Woglinde | Eva Kong |
| Wellgunde / Gerhilde | Jane Ede |
| flosshilde / schwertleite | Dominica Matthews |
| Ortlinde / Third norn | Olivia Cranwell |
| Waltraute | Deborah Humble |
| Rossweise | Sian Sharp |
| Siegrune | Agnes Sarkis |
| grimgerde / Second norn | Angela Hogan |
| Woodbird | Stacey Alleaume |
| First norn | Chanyang Choi |
Opera Australia Chorus & Opera Queensland Chorus
Queensland Symphony Ring Cycle Orchestra
Please note: strobe lighting will be used in this production.
See the creative team test images and fabrics on stage
The Story Bridge spanning the Brisbane River. Photo: Tourism and Events Queensland
Moreton Island near Brisbane in Queensland. Photo: Tourism and Events Queensland
Capricorn Coast at the Southern Great Barrier Reef in Queensland. Photo: Tourism and Events Queensland
Strategic Partners
University Partner
Presenting Partners
Patron-in-Chief
Dr Haruhisa Handa
Opera Australia Government Partner
