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

A contemporary of Queen Victoria, the daring original diva, Anna Bishop, shattered expectations and redefined independence, when she left her famous composer husband to forge her own artistic path.
Bravely defying social norms of the time, and forced to leave her beloved children behind, she toured the globe with her genius harpist lover.
Lauded by Royalty and adored by audiences around the world, she argued with great Italian composers, survived shipwreck, tiger attack, pandemics and boom-bust fortunes, inadvertently inspiring women everywhere to live boldly.
Having toured the Australian goldfields her story is woven into our colonial narrative and character.
Renowned Canberra opera singer Sarahlouise Owens brings Anna’s extraordinary journey to life through songs and arias of the era, such as 'Home Sweet Home', 'Lucia Mad Scene' and 'The Last Rose of Summer'. Opera's Bad Girl is a story of passion, resilience, and unapologetic artistry