The Drover’s Wife
No story ends forever—our Dreaming endures.
Molly Johnson is a woman of resilience. Alone and heavily pregnant, she struggles to care for her children in a remote shanty in the Snowy Mountains.
Surrounded by snakes, bullocks, and unwelcome travellers, Molly faces danger at every turn. With her husband away droving sheep, survival falls solely on her shoulders.
Her fragile sanctuary is further tested when Yadaka, an Aboriginal man fleeing colonial authorities, arrives. Their intertwined histories of hardship and survival can no longer be ignored.
The Drover’s Wife is a monumental new opera inspired by the play, novel, and film by one of Australia’s foremost artists, Leah Purcell. With a stirring score by George Palmer, this reimagined version unveils the symphonic depth of Purcell’s modern classic.
Australia’s rising opera star Nina Korbe (West Side Story on Sydney Harbour) takes the lead as the titular drover’s wife, delivering a performance that promises to be unforgettable.
Presented by Opera Australia in association with Queensland Performing Arts Centre and Oombarra Productions.