MEDIA RELEASE
Tickets go on sale today for two extraordinary works from two of the world’s most acclaimed theatre directors, Romeo Castellucci’s Bluebeard’s Castle and Barrie Kosky’s K., the first Adelaide Festival exclusives announced for 2027.
With previous Festival productions Go Down Moses (2016) and Mozart’s Requiem (2020) wowing audiences, Romeo Castellucci’s breathtaking production of Béla Bartók’s operatic masterpiece, Bluebeard’s Castle, transcends a naturalistic setting with a spectacular water-filled stage lit by flames.
Castellucci places the audience in the viewpoint of Judith, newlywed to Duke Bluebeard and driven to open the seven forbidden locked doors of their castle. Each new chamber in turn brings an eruption of fire that illuminates both Bluebeard's secrets and the unfolding layers of Judith's psyche.
Lauded for its poetic brilliance after premiering at Salzburg Festival in 2022, this production illuminates why Bluebeard’s Castle is a 20th century operatic cornerstone; from the awe of its orchestration to the power of its vocal writing.
Barrie Kosky continues his career-long association with Adelaide Festival following a string of spectacular operas including Saul (2017), The Magic Flute (2019), The Golden Cockerel (2022) and The Threepenny Opera (2024).
K. is his theatrical reimagining of Franz Kafka’s famous novel The Trial, a whirlwind of theatre, dance, song and vaudeville delivered by the extraordinary actors of the Berliner Ensemble and a live band.
“Someone must have been telling lies about Josef K, he knew he had done nothing wrong but, one morning he was arrested”…so begins The Trial; a comic yet terrifying tale of Josef K’s blind tumble through totalitarian bureaucracy and an absurd, labyrinthine system of laws that are nearly impossible to navigate.
Fuelled by Kafka’s exploration of Yiddish theatre and his own Jewishness, Kosky’s chaotically inventive spectacle features German star Kathrin Wehlisch in the title role. Wehlisch’s masterclass in comedy and vaudeville will be the talk of the Festival.
Adelaide Festival Artistic Director Matthew Lutton OAM said: “Our early release brings together two Adelaide Festival favourites – Romeo Castellucci and Barrie Kosky – directors whose work is wildly imaginative and impossible to forget. Just remember the spectacle of Kosky’s Saul and Castellucci’s Requiem. Now they return with two productions that promise to be equally unmissable.
Bluebeard’s Castle is one of the great 20th century operas, and Castellucci’s elemental production unleashes the full power of what visionary opera can be. Kosky transforms The Trial into an all-singing, all-dancing feverish collision of terror and comedy that only he could conjure, and I’m particularly thrilled that this will be Barrie’s first theatre work in Australia since 2010’s The Tell-Tale Heart. These are audacious, spectacular events: rare, exhilarating, and unlike anything audiences will experience anywhere else in Australia.”
Minister for Arts Kyam Maher MLC said: “These two extraordinary productions from two world-class directors are setting the stage for a truly exciting Adelaide Festival in 2027. Bringing Barrie Kosky’s K., a wild reimagining of Franz Kafka’s The Trial alongside the Australian premiere of Romeo Castellucci’s Bluebeard’s Castle to Adelaide speaks to the strength of our state as a global arts and cultural hub, supported by the State Labor Government’s investment in the arts.
Adelaide Festival has a proud history of bringing some of the world’s most acclaimed artists to South Australia, giving audiences the opportunity to experience ambitious work without travelling overseas. Bluebeard’s Castle is the latest international drawcard to land in Adelaide, following Pulp, Little Amal and the opera Innocence, and offers audiences across Australia and the Asia-Pacific the chance to experience a landmark 20th-century opera right here in South Australia.
I look forward to another successful Adelaide Festival in 2027 and welcoming audiences from near and far.”
Bluebeard’s Castle will be performed at the Festival Theatre from 26 February – 2 March 2027.
K. will be performed at Her Majesty’s Theatre from 4 – 7 March 2027.
Adelaide Festival will launch its full program on Tuesday 27 October and the Festival will run from 26 February – 14 March 2027.
Become a Festival Friend for access to the best seats in the house, a 15% discount on applicable adult tickets, and a range of special offers.
Bluebeard’s Castle is generously supported by MM Electrical Merchandising, the Adelaide Festival Chairman’s Circle and Opera Donor Circle and was originally commissioned and produced by Salzburg Festival.
