Composed entirely in Tasmania under the guidance of IHOS Artistic Director Constantine Koukias, The Lunch Box may be the first opera sung in Thai to blend traditional Thai music and contemporary Western opera.
The Lunch Box tells the story of a mother's devotion to her only son, a fundamentally good farmer whose rage at the untimely death of his father has tragic consequences.
This much-loved Thai Buddhist folk tale is believed by the librettist to be based on an actual incident that occurred in Thailand 300 years ago.
The Hobart production featured soprano Monique Klongtruadroke and baritone Saran Suebsantiwongse, both of whom have been trained in the Western tradition and have sung with the Bangkok Opera.
The "minimalist and bold"[3] portable set evoking a Thai rice field was created by the production's Sydney-based Dutch Director and Designer Joey Ruigrok van der Werven.