Add in an escaped convict Angelotti (beautifully and dramatically portrayed by relative newcomer, WA Opera Young Artist Jake Bigwood) and a morally bankrupt and totally corrupt Chief of Police, Scarpia (commandingly sung by Warwick Fyfe) and you’ve got all the characters you need to create a powerful tragedy.Ĭavaradossi (Paul O’Neill) and Tosca (Maija Kovalevska) share a tender moment. Tosca, compared with many operas, has a straightforward plot that is easy to follow (aided by surtitles on screens either side of the stage), yet it contains so many of the emotions that make a great love story – passion, jealousy, unrequited love, revenge, loyalty, fighting for a cause and tragic loss.Ĭavaradossi (played by the hugely versatile Paul O’Neill) is infatuated with Tosca, a feisty, arrogant, sensuous yet ultimately devoted woman (magnificently performed by Maija Kovalevska). Yes, the West Australian Opera staging of a production from Opera Queensland, under director Patrick Nolan, is brimming with over-the-top declarations of love, evil machinations and unspeakable tragedy, but the sheer beauty of the set alone almost makes it worth seeing. While Puccini’s Tosca may not normally be recommended as an entry point into opera, I strongly encourage anyone who has never experienced the drama, passion and simply glorious experience of the artform to see this production.

Tosca opera plot