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Three Marys

Performer

exile, the ocean, and survival

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PRESENTED BY SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE

PRESENTED BY SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE FOR THEIR UNWRAPPED PROGRAM AS PART OF THEIR 50th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS

Jessica O’Donoghue as Magdalena

An international collaboration by award-winning artists composer Andrée Greenwell and librettist Christine Evans, this chamber opera of our times tells an intergenerational story of a family of women who must flee for their lives. 

​Inspired by the French medieval legend of the biblical Three Marys, the tale follows the perilous journey of Maria, Magdalena and Sarah-Marie as they are banished from their homeland and forced out to sea in an oarless boat.

Stripped to the raw elements of exile, the ocean, and survival, the women’s voices echo across the ages as people from all backgrounds still undertake desperate ocean journeys in search of refuge.

SCORE: Andrée Greenwell

DIRECTOR/DRAMATURG: Angela Chaplin

LIBRETTIST: Christine Evans

PHOTO CREDITS: Mikki Gomez & Matthew Duchesne

Stream Performance
  • Black silhouette of the map of Australia with a small message in a box that says 'Happy Australia Day 26th January'.

    “… a story with powerful and poignant relevance today. It is a wonderful work, about exiles, compassion and, finally, love. I went to see it twice in its short three-day season in Sydney.”

    – John McCallum, The Australian

  • LIMELIGHT Music, Arts & Culture logo in red text on black background

    “Each of the three Marys – Maria (Heru Pinkasova), her daughter-in-law Magdalena (Jessica O’Donoghue) and granddaughter Sarah Marie (Samantha Hargreaves) – had exceptionally beautiful passages of text that they delivered admirably, but admiration didn’t seem a strong enough response to this powerful cast.”

    – Deborah Jones, Limelight

Three women sitting on a stage in a theatrical performance, with serious expressions, dressed in casual clothing, some with head coverings, and various belongings around them.
A woman with curly hair is standing with her eyes closed and her hands raised near her head in a gesture of prayer or meditation. She is wearing a blue jacket and a patterned scarf. The background is dark and out of focus.
Two women on stage, one with curly black hair and dark skin, the other with curly brown hair and light skin, appear upset or angry. They are part of a group of people standing in the background, watching intensely.
A woman with curly dark hair standing on stage, appearing emotional, next to a person kneeling with back facing the camera.
Two women standing on a stage with dark background, surrounded by other people, one in bright pink skirts and the other in a blue shirt and jeans, appearing to perform or participate in a theatrical or artistic event.
People standing closely together in a dark setting, with some illuminated by spotlight, indicating a serious or emotional moment during a theatrical performance or event.
Jessica O'Donoghue with curly hair, wearing a dark shirt, with her eyes closed and mouth open, appears to be emotional or singing, with one hand on her chest and the other hand on her stomach, in a dark setting with faint light.
Two women, one with short curly hair and the other with long, straight hair, sharing a moment in a dark setting illuminated by soft light, both with expressive facial expressions.