What happens to sets and costumes when a production closes?
Opera Australia is a repertory company and it creates an opera production capable of being revived over a life-span of 10-20 years. In between revivals, the costumes are stored at the Opera Centre in Surry Hills, while sets and props are kept in storage in Alexandria. Sixty productions are held in current repertoire by Opera Australia. Complete productions can be hired out to the Australian state-based opera companies, or to overseas companies. When a production is finally judged to be ready to be replaced, it can be sold to another company or its component parts can be used for new productions. What may have been a glittering ball-gown some 15 years ago may become beggar’s rags for a new production.
