The Australian planning operas in the land of Game of Thrones

“That terrible ‘elite’ word comes with opera,” he says. “But the experience of going to opera is for and of the people. It’s about finding that human condition in everything. I’m having some really interesting conversations.”

And, of course, some very frustrating ones.

Menzies, who most recently directed a gory, lush Salome for Victorian Opera, and whose parting gift to Melbourne will be Deborah Cheetham’s much-anticipated new work Parrwang Lifts the Sky, auditioned for the Belfast job by pitching a 2021 season “in the hope COVID was no longer around”.

At the time he applied, Northern Ireland was more or less open for business, while Melbourne was in the middle of lockdown and the long performing arts drought.

Now it’s the reverse. He’s just arrived in Belfast in a city under lockdown, more or less since Christmas, with only online work possible until restrictions are reassessed in March.

That online work has reflected his long-term plans, though. In a series called Northern Songs, singers from different counties performed songs in stunning landscapes.

Menzies has a wealth of international experience, having worked in Germany and London as well as around Australia, collecting awards on the way, including for his direction of Australia’s first Indigenous opera, Cheetham’s Pecan Summer. His repertoire covers everything from the opera canon to cabaret, musical theatre to film.

There’s not a grand operatic tradition in Northern Ireland, Menzies says, which could be seen as a challenge or opportunity.

“They’ve been gaining great audiences and building loyalty, and there’s a great taste for different things,” he says.

Then came the pandemic. They have found funding for some new programs, including a 25-minute film showcasing local composers, singers, designers and crews.

He has commissioned a new opera for 2022 specifically designed for the teen/young adult market and has planned some special events.

He’s also expanded the company’s Opera Studio to include directors, designers, choreographers and stage managers.

They’re not due back in the Grand Opera House in Belfast for a big main-stage work until September.

This gives him plenty of time to plan. He’s not going to neglect the much-loved opera canon, but the pandemic makes flexibility essential.

Opera has lots of “little gems”, he says, salon pieces that you can put into the mix so you don’t have all your eggs in the basket of a huge production.

He’s also excited about the chance to keep in touch with Australian colleagues and companies for future work.

“The word now is ‘co-production’ for opera companies,” he says. “There’s certainly the opportunity to create work [in Australia] or [in Belfast] and bring it back and forward. It makes financial sense but it’s also great to spread that artistic voice and vision.”

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