Assistant Director
Emma Nightingale
Biography
Emma Nightingale is an opera director, singer, writer, and producer whose work is driven by a passion for storytelling, human connection, and creating joyful, collaborative rehearsal rooms. Working across
mainstage opera, festivals, regional touring, and independent productions, she is particularly interested in making opera accessible to contemporary audiences through imaginative, character-driven storytelling.
Recent directing credits include All Together Now! and The Adventures of Figaro for Opera Queensland, The Magic Flute for Voxalis Opera, The Boor for Springboard Opera and The Telephone for Brisbane Festival.
In 2026, she directs The Marriage of Figaro for the Tyalgum Music Festival. Emma’s directing practice began through her work with Opera Queensland and Shake & Stir Theatre Co., where she served as Assistant Director on schools, regional touring, and mainstage productions including La Cenerentola, Are You Lonesome Tonight, The Adventures of Figaro, and Do We Need Another Hero?. She continues to work regularly as an Assistant Director and creative collaborator while developing her own work as a director and producer.
Current Performances
Past Performances
Family friendly The Frog Prince
Opera Queensland and shake & stir theatre co. present The Frog Prince. In this fun retelling of the classic Grimm tale, spoiled 10-year-old Juniper May meets Gilbert Gravy, a sassy…
24 September 2021Family friendly La bohème
Puccini’s classic La bohème is reawakened with a contemporary spin that explores how young people cope with uncertainty and change in today’s pressured world. This intimate retelling of the great…
23 September 2022Family friendly La Bohème
Reimagined for Young Adults Misfit friends learn to survive, fall in love and find their voices An ideal introduction to opera for young audiences, Puccini’s La Bohème is re‑awakened with…
21 - 23 September 2022Family friendly The Frog Prince
The Frog Prince leaps into the 21st century with all the transformative joy and wonder you can expect from Opera Queensland. In this modern retelling of the classic Grimm tale,…
11 - 13 August 2022Family friendly Home Grown Opera
Experience the magic of opera in the gardens as you listen to a curated concert of traditional songs marking life’s big moments, presented by BLEACH* and Opera Queensland. Gold Coast…
25 June - 4 July 2026Performance Rusalka
OPERA QUEENSLAND PRESENTS RUSALKA ★★★★★ “…the best in decades”. – Limelight ★★★★★ “Ambitiously conceived and flawlessly executed…one of the most visually spectacular productions in recent history.” – Queensland Stage Critics ★★★★★…
