After mesmerising audiences and critics at the 2024 Perth Festival, the Noongar-performed opera Wundig wer Wilura will return in concert format for a series of special regional performances.

The West Australian Opera production, written by prolific award-winning composers and storytellers Gina Williams AM and Guy Ghouse – who recently received an Order of Australia in this year's King's Birthday Honours – will show in in Albany and Bunbury this November in a special reworked concert adaption.

Wundig wer Wilura tells an ancient Noongar story of star-crossed lovers who break the bounds of lore and custom, and have their souls forever banished to Wongborel (Mount Brown) and Walwalling (Mount Bakewell) in WA's Ballardong country, York.

Jess Hitchcock (Wilura) and Jarred Wall (Wundig) will reprise their roles as the story's principal characters: kissing cousins who provoke tribal rage and retribution, evoking the romantic distemper of young, frustrated love with pathos and passion.

The duo will be joined on stage by David Leha, Tyrone Brownley, Charley Caruso, Jarred Inman, Bella McGill, Teresa Moore, Benjamin Gath and Gina Williams for the concert adaption.

Mr Wall, who plays Wundig and is also known as prominent singer/songwriter and producer 'Boox Kid', said working on Wundig wer Wilura at last year's festival was a career highlight.

"It's really special to perform in language and to share these West Australian stories with people far and wide," he told National Indigenous Times.

The Wardandi Bibbulmun cross-genre artist said he couldn't wait to reunite with most of the original cast and crew from 2024, and perform the concert adaption in a new light, to new audiences.

"I'm really excited to head out on the road into the regions, and reprise the role of Wundig," he said.

"The opera really resonated with audiences when we performed it at Perth Festival, so to revisit the character of Wundig and perform the score again is a real thrill."

Similar to many musical ventures between Mr Ghouse and Ms Williams – whose artistic collaborations began in 2010 – Wundig wer Wilura aids the preservation of Noongar language and culture.

The dynamic duo are six-time winners of Indigenous act of the year at the WA Music Industry Awards, and have released four Noongar-language albums, beginning with Kalyakoorl in 2012 and most recently Koort in 2021, and were recently in Japan representing Australia at the 2025 World Expo in Osaka, where they had such a profound impact on the Japanese people they were immediately invited back.

Mr Wall said he felt extremely proud to again be sharing his culture, this time with new audiences in the South West.

"This show helps the preservation of our language; these stories are part of WA and Noongar culture," he said.

WA Opera executive director Carolyn Chard AM said she knew the beautiful story of Wundig wer Wilura had to be shared with wider audiences after seeing how strongly it impacted Perth Festival attendees.

"We are deeply passionate about the powerful stories opera tells ... and grateful to our funders and partners who enable us to do this tour," she said.

West Australian Opera will present two concert performances at Albany Entertainment Centre on Wednesday November 5, and Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre on Friday November 7 at 11am and 7.30pm in each region.

Wundig wer Wilura is performed in Noongar with English subtitles and suitable for ages 8+. Tickets can be purchased online.