Conversation between Patrick Pickett and Elizabeth Lewis

Elizabeth Lewis has been working on this project for several years after reading a book about the 43 Australian nurses who went to Vietnam in 1970. She met with several of the nurses and listened to their stories before writing the libretto for this opera. Patrick introduced her to Brenton Broadstock AM who was his composition lecturer at Melbourne University. Brenton has composed an exciting, complex score with amazing harmonies. Six opera singers play twenty two characters as the story of Abigail Hughes, a young woman from Toowoomba joins the Australian Army to become a nurse, to have an adventure and go and help the boys in Vietnam.
A small ensemble of musicians, led by Margaret Connolly brings the words to life.
The War Memorial in Canberra have put together and supplied original footage from the time to help tell the story.