An opera exploring the unresolved tensions of a school shooting 10 years after the tragedy, directed by expat Australian Simon Stone; a triple bill from legendary choreographer Pina Bausch’s Tanztheater Wuppertal, including two pieces by the company’s current Artistic Director, Boris Charmatz; and the world premiere of Daniel Riley’s A Quiet Language, commemorating the 60th anniversary of Australian Dance Theatre (ADT), are the first three productions announced for the 2025 Adelaide Festival.
Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho’s contemporary opera Innocence, featuring a libretto by Finnish novelist Sofi Oksanen, had its world premiere at Aix-en-Provence Festival in 2021. The work has been praised as a ‘nuanced artistic achievement’, although the production – especially Saariaho’s score – has also been criticised for keeping the story’s ‘harrowing drama at arm’s length’ rather than allowing its impact to be fully felt.
