Adapted from Helen Garner’s acclaimed novel, The Spare Room tells the story of Helen who lovingly prepares her spare room for her friend Nicola.

Nicola is coming to Melbourne for three weeks to receive treatment she believes will cure her cancer.

From the moment Nicola staggers off the plane, Helen becomes her nurse, her guardian angel and her stony judge, as they negotiate an unmapped path through Nicola’s bizarre therapy.

Composer Jane Hammond and Librettist Therèsa Borg tenderly realise the rage, pained love and friendship at the essence of Garner’s award-winning book and let the story sing.

Depicting the friendship at its centre are sopranos Natalie Jones and Antoinette Halloran, who return to Victorian Opera as Helen and Nicola. Sarah Goodes makes her operatic debut as the Director of this production, conducted by Phoebe Briggs.

Heartening, harrowing and darkly funny, The Spare Room makes its world premiere as a moving new Australian opera.