Opera's Bad Girl: The World's First Daringly Defiant Diva

Before Melba… There Was Anna Bishop.

Long before women could vote, let alone take centre stage, one woman rewrote the rules.

OPERA’S BAD GIRL is a thrilling, one-of-a-kind theatrical experience that tells the untamed true story of Anna Bishop — opera’s original rebel. A Victorian-era trailblazer who defied her time, she lived fast, sang farther, and dared to do what no woman had done before.

From scandal to spotlight, Anna Bishop was unstoppable. She left her famous composer husband and defied polite society by running off with her genius harpist lover — embarking on a globe-trotting adventure so wild it reads like fiction: shipwrecks, tiger attacks, hostage-takings, war zones and epidemics — and through it all, she sang. To royalty. To rebels. To packed houses on every continent — including three history-making tours of Australia, where she performed in the goldfields and helped shape our musical identity.

Now, her extraordinary life returns to the stage in a dazzling performance by acclaimed soprano Sarahlouise Owens. Through beloved arias like Lucia’s Mad Scene, The Last Rose of Summer, and Home Sweet Home, Owens channels Anna’s bold spirit, fierce independence, and infectious charisma — breathing life into a woman who dared to live on her own terms.

Opera’s Bad Girl is not just for opera lovers, but for anyone who’s ever felt the pull to break free, to dream bigger, to fight harder for the life they want. It’s history with heart, high notes, and a heroine who deserves her place among the legends.

Whether you're 18 or 80, this show will move you, inspire you — and leave you wondering why you’ve never heard her name before.

One woman. One voice. One unforgettable story.