Following up its presentation of a virtual opera billed as the first of its kind, Adelaide’s OzAsia Festival has programmed yet another pioneering example of the genre for 2018. This year’s offering, War Sum Up, is a contemporary opera from adventurous production company Hotel Pro Forma, first staged at Latvian National Opera in 2011. Performed by members of the splendid Latvian Radio Choir, it promises to be a visually spectacular experience that uses Manga imagery as well as characters from classical Noh Theatre to explore themes of war, destruction and loss. Boasting an eclectic score from Latvian composer Santa Ratniece, French electronic artist Gilbert Nouno and English ensemble the Irrepressibles, it fuses classical music with pop and electronic sounds. Limelight speaks to War Sum Up’s director and stage designer Kirsten Dehlholm – also the founder and artistic director of Hotel Pro Forma – about the work’s Australian premiere.

War Sum Up. Photo supplied

Can you talk about the origins of War Sum Up? Where did the idea for the work come from?

Hotel Pro Forma always chooses big topics to examine and use for our artistic productions. Since 2003 Denmark has been involved...