L'incoronazione di Poppea
This production is underpinned by our strong interests in historically informed performance or HIP. We first prepared this opera for the Master of Music (Opera Performance) students in 2021, during the grueling Melbourne COVID lock downs. The opera was taught largely online and in brief moments of reprise that enabled a few socially distanced and masked rehearsals. It was adapted to the students available, edited to a 2-hour running time, rather than the full 3-hour work. A performance eventually took place to an empty auditorium which occurred one week after an unexpected lock down, announced literally minutes before the dress rehearsal had been due to happen. Those in the dressing rooms had to remove their costumes and makeup and leave the venue and wait for further news. Despite the challenges of COVID, the depth and brilliance of this opera rallied us all, and we knew this was a piece to revisit. We have kept the 2021 modifications in our 2025 production. We have embraced the traditions of travesti role allocation, with character being forefronted above gender. We have added to our team coaches in Melofonetica - a newly developed lyric diction system geared to enhance Italian pronunciation when singing. We are grateful to founder Matteo Dalle Fratte for this useful method and to Victoria Lambourn for teaching it to our performers. We have also worked closely with coaches Dr Stephen Grant and Shauna Beesley who have offered invaluable insights across the preparation period.
The opera course cast has worked with flair and determination, and the opera has been staged with an elegant set and beautiful costumes, developed by VCA Design and Production students. The musicians come from the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music's Early Music Ensemble. The production has been lit and stage-managed by industry experts who have offered incredible support.
It has been a delight to revisit this opera, and though based on the 2021 production concept, a different cast, set, costumes and music ensemble bring new energies and insights to the work. In our opinions, L’incoronazione di Poppea is a mighty contribution to the opera genre, and we are delighted to be able to share it with you in these performances.
Jane Davidson and Donald Nicolson, June 2025.
Director
Jane Davidson
Conductor
Donald Nicolson
Lighting Designer
Stephen Hawker
Set Designer
Emma Ashton+
Associate Set Designer
Rhianna Sander*
Costume Designer
Reuben James*
Assistant Costume Designer
Trinity Cardow
Coaches
Dr Stephen Grant
Victoria Lambourn
Shauna Beesley
Repetitieur
Julian Wade
PRODUCTION TEAM
Assistant Production Manager
Georgette Tetaz*
Production Stage Manager
Michele Forbes
Deputy Stage Manager
Claudia Howarth
Assistant Stage Manager
Ava Koniaras
Head Electrician
Lachlan Careedy
Surtitle Operator
Caitlin Hopwood
Workshop Head of Department
Helen Guan*
Workshop Assistants
Grace Hicks, Eli Ismail, Melody Keys, Grace Lucas, Georgia Maynier, Anneka van der Velde, Toby Vasilić, Zac Waddington
Senior Costumier
Jamie Garcia*
Costume Manager
Bilan Faarax
Costume Assistants
Chaira Nathan, Allanie Sanderson
+Second year Master of Production Design (Stage) student
*Third year Bachelor of Fine Arts (Production) student
PROFESSIONAL STAFF
Artistic Operations & Planning Manager
Abe Watson
Production Operations Manager
Andy Turner
Senior Producer
Ang Cuy & Alex Duffy
Production Coordinator
Andy Turner
Orchestra Assistant
Amy Smith
Stagecraft Project Coordinator
Alan (Alby) Logan
Staging Techinicians
El Lyons-Dawson, Taylor Chen, Al Brill, Mungo Mckenzie, Charlie Craft, Em Van Dyk, Jack Milne, Tait Adams, Morgan Jones, Nellie Summerfield
Set Construction
Imported Theatre Fabrics Company
CAST
Monday, 23 June
Poppea
Chloe Taylor
Nerone
Tessa McKenna
Ottone
Samantha Anderson-Maynes
Ottavia
Erin Absalom
Arnalta
Mia Koutsoumidis
Nutrice
Saskia Mascitti
La Virtu
Sarah Amos
Valletto
Sarah Amos
Darmigella
Zoë Lancaster
Pallade
Zoë Lancaster
Amore
Millicent Brake
Drusilla
Phoebe Tait
La Fortuna
Sofia Imperatore
Seneca
Leyland Jones
First Soldier
Martyn Arends
Liberto
Martyn Arends
Lucano
Martyn Arends
Second Soldier
Zoe Lancaster
Tuesday, 24 June
Poppea
Ashley Chua
Nerone
Brittney Northcott
Ottone
Isaac Burgess
Ottavia
Sophie MGetrick
Arnalta
Saskia Mascitti
Nutrice
Mia Koutsoumidis
La Virtu
Zoë Lancaster
Valletto
Millicent Brake
Darmigella
Zoë Lancaster
Pallade
Sarah Amos
Amore
Sarah Amos
Drusilla
Sofia Imperatore
La Fortuna
Phoebe Tait
Seneca
Leyland Jones
First Soldier
Martyn Arends
Liberto
Martyn Arends
Lucano
Martyn Arends
Second Soldier
Zoe Lancaster
Wednesday, 25 June 2PM
Poppea
Chloe Taylor
Nerone
Tessa McKenna
Ottone
Samantha Anderson-Mayes
Ottavia
Erin Absalom
Arnalta
Mia Koutsoumidis
Nutrice
Saskia Mascitti
La Virtu
Sarah Amos
Valletto
Millicent Brake
Darmigella
Zoë Lancaster
Pallade
Zoë Lancaster
Amore
Sarah Amos
Drusilla
Phoebe Tait
La Fortuna
Sofia Imperatore
Seneca
Leyland Jones
First Soldier
Martyn Arends
Liberto
Martyn Arends
Lucano
Martyn Arends
Second Soldier
Zoe Lancaster
Wednesday, 25 June 7PM
Poppea
Ashley Chua
Nerone
Brittney Northcott
Ottone
Isaac Burgess
Ottavia
Sophie McGetrick
Arnalta
Saskia Mascitti
Nutrice
Mia Koutsoumidis
La Virtu
Sarah Amos
Valletto
Sarah Amos
Darmigella
Zoë Lancaster
Pallade
Zoë Lancaster
Amore
Millicent Brake
Drusilla
Sofia Imperatore
La Fortuna
Phoebe Tait
Seneca
Leyland Jones
First Soldier
Martyn Arends
Liberto
Martyn Arends
Lucano
Martyn Arends
Second Soldier
Zoe Lancaster
EARLY MUSIC ENSEMBLE
Conductor / Chamber Organ / Harpsichord I
Donald Nicolson
Harpsichord II
Julian Wade
Violins
Wil Golja
Luke Harvey Inamac
Andrew Seamer
Cello
Sebastian Spillane
Recorder
Katherine Stacey
Hugo Davey
Violone
Theodore Pham
ACADEMIC STAFF
Head of Opera
Jane Davidson
Vocal Teachers
Anna Connolly, Antoinette Halloran, Carrie Barr, Dermot Tutty, Dr Heather Fletcher, Dr Linda Barcan, Roxane Hislop, Dr Stephen Grant, Victoria Lambourn
Head of Design & Production
Anna Cordingley
Design and Production Academic Consultants
Rain Iyahen, Jen Langford
Design and Production Academic Staff
Kris Bird, Jo Briscoe, Marco Cher-Gibard, Dr Emily Collett, Anna Cordingley, Martyn Coutts, Jo Evans, Dale Ferguson, John Ford, Nell Hanson, Amanda Hitten, Lisa Mibus, Lisa Osborn, Professor Richard Roberts, Leon Salom, Matt Scott, Christina Smith, Jethro Woodward