Opera Australia farewells Madama Butterfly: Anne Carroll reflects on 20 years of performances

WHEN Anne Carroll auditioned for an opera role in 1997, she never imagined she’d still be doing it 20 years on.

The two sides of Anne Carroll: office assistant by day, koken by night. Composite picture: John Appleyard

TWENTY years ago, Anne Carroll did a cattle-call audition for Opera Australia’s new interpretation of Madama Butterfly by Moffatt Oxenbould.

“It was for actors who could dance or dancers who could act and I could do both so I went along,” she said.

Out of about 200 people, she was chosen to play a koken, servant to the principal singers. She has played the same role each time the opera returns to Sydney - a total of 17 seasons since 1997.

She is back in costume now for Opera Australia’s final revival of Oxenbould’s elegant, stylised production. Though the kokens are non-speaking characters, they play a vital part - it is a koken who hands the knife to Cio-Cio-San for her final tragic scene.

Carroll was a classical dancer in her younger days, but was working at Waverley Council when she auditioned for the opera. She had given up dancing, got married and had two children, but wanted to get back into the arts world.

Anne Carroll at her desk in the office at Opera Australia. Picture: John Appleyard

She now works as an office assistant at Opera Australia when she’s not on stage. She also has a regular role as an opinionated servant in The Marriage of Figaro, and played about six different parts in last year’s Sydney Opera House - the Opera (The Eighth Wonder), performed on the building’s front steps.

Madama Butterfly’s koken costume has stayed the same for two decades, however this year new robes have been made.

“They were falling apart from years and years of washing,” Carroll said.

They play an important practical part on stage each night. “When you get three or four of us together, we can make a little Japanese room and the principal singers can get changed behind that.”

Carroll was taken to opera as a child by her parents, but found it dull and usually fell asleep. It was only later in life when a friend took her to see Luciano Pavarotti that she caught the bug.

Opera Australia's 2015 production of Madama Butterfly with Hiromi Omura. Picture: Jeff Busby.

Though she has been in more than 150 performances of Madama Butterfly, she never tires of it.

“Puccini’s music is so beautiful and emotive, and it’s been wonderful to see all the different singers come in,” she said.

She won’t be drawn on who has been her favourite. “I wouldn’t dare! Let me say that each artist brings their own personality to the role.”

Solo cellist performs at refugee protest

She does however give special mention to Sydney soprano Emma Matthews in Lucia di Lammermoor. “In the mad scene, it was the depths of emotion she went to, the vulnerability, because a singer’s voice is their soul.”

In Madama Butterfly, celebrated South Korean soprano Karah Son and Opera Australia’s Hyeseoung Kwon will share the role this time.

“I never go to my dressing room,” Carroll said. “I just stay in the wings for the whole show so I can hear it all.”

Madama Butterfly, until November 4, Capitol Theatre, City, opera.org.au