It's a marathon even when everything goes according to plan, but on Wednesday, Opera Australia's Die Walkure went for 90 minutes longer than usual due to "technical difficulties".
Those who stayed till the end were there until after midnight, with the performance stretching more than seven hours, including intervals.
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Ride of the Valkyries mash-up
A piece of classical music by Wagner makes many appearances in film, TV and video games.
An Opera Australia spokeswoman said motors that power the show's revolving set were "misfiring", causing difficulties between scene changes. "It was very calm and intense backstage," she said.
The second of four operas in Richard Wagner's The Ring, Die Walkure already requires a significant commitment at a scheduled five hours and 40 minutes.
But as soon as the audience had settled back in the theatre for act two, they were told the first interval would be extended by about an hour.
The second interval, scheduled for 40 minutes, was also delayed an additional 30 minutes.
Most people seemed content to go to the bar and chat in the State Theatre foyer.
"We were very impressed with the audience, they seemed to be very patient," the Opera Australia spokewoman said. "Only a small number of people left [before the end]."
The Age critic Barney Zwartz awarded the performance 4.5 stars despite the delays.
Opera Australia has been praised for its "ingenious" design, featuring a revolving floor with changing sets throughout each performance. The company first staged The Ring in 2013 for a reported $20 million.
The hiccups occurred just two nights into the first 2016 Ring "cycle", which includes three cycles of the four operas Das Rheingold, Die Walkure, Sigfried and Gotterdamerung.
Die Walkure should have been the second shortest of the four, but with the delays it eclipsed the longest, Gotterdamerung, at a scheduled running time of six hours and 45 minutes, including intervals.
Sigfried runs for six hours and five minutes while Das Rheingold is a walk in the park at two hours 30 minutes, though without an interval.
In total the cycle is 21 hours, including intervals – if there are no delays.
The Ring – and Die Walkure in particular – is one of Wagner's most famous operas, with the Ride of the Valkyries theme having appeared in many films and TV series.
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