Run Wilde with Story Time, Magic Tricks and Puppets at the Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House is letting imaginations run wild these July school holidays with literary classics jumping off the page, epic illusions and true stories of Australia's displaced past.

Direct from the West End, Wilde Creatures is an exciting new production based on Oscar Wilde's best-loved tales, including The Happy Prince and The Nightingale and the Rose. Parading onto the Playhouse stage from July 7 – 14, Wilde Creatures features a jaunty quartet of actor-musicians who mix imaginative storytelling, live music and a generous dash of comedy.

Can you spot the mythical Snark hiding at the Sydney Opera House? All aboard – the whole family is invited on a riotous quest to catch the legendary creature, from July 17 – 22 in the Playhouse. The brilliant modern musical adaptation of Lewis Carroll's The Hunting of the Snark is complete with life-like puppets, fantastical creatures and of course a knitting beaver.

Direct from a sold-out season at Sydney Festival, Australia's colonial past and refugee policies are put on trial in this powerful piece of political theatre for audiences of 12 years and over. Tribunal features monologues and real-life testimony from guests airing the experiences directly affecting their communities. Held in the Studio from July 6 – 7, Tribunal is led by Aunty Rhonda Dixon-Grovenor, a Darug-Yuin elder, and will feature a Q&A session at the conclusion of the performance.

The closing act of the July school holidays is the enchanting story of a young boy who longs to be an illusionist. Supported by Performing Arts Fund NL, The Great Illusionist invites audiences into the Studio from July 21 – 29 to experience cleverly executed illusions, tantalising tricks, live music and magical puppetry as they uncover the truth of how magic works – we want to be fooled!

The free, immersive Creative Play returns to the Western Foyers with Reach Out Sounds. Encouraging children to make music through connections, Reach Out Sounds will invite little ones to touch the top of a sound pod and then hold hands, fist-bump and even high-five their way to the next sound pod. Only once the circuit is complete will music fill the air.

Behind the scenes, young ones with a passion for discovery and love of the spotlight can find out what it takes to be an Opera House star on the Junior Adventure Tour. In a fast-paced, one-hour experience, kids will venture beneath the famous sails to uncover a world of magic and theatre with costume dress-ups, games and astounding facts to learn. For those with an appetite for more, the Junior Day Pack includes a Junior Adventure Tour, ticket to Wilde Creatures and lunch at Opera Bar – a well-earned treat for little kids and -big kids' too.

 

Wilde Creatures
Dates: July 7 - 14
Venue: The Playhouse

Ages: 5+

The Great Illusionist
Dates: July 21 - 29
Venue: The Studio
Ages: 8+
       
Tribunal
Dates: July 6 - 7
Venue: The Studio
Ages: 12+

Junior Adventure Tour
Dates: July 7 - 22
Venue: Sydney Opera House
Ages: 5 - 12
       
The Hunting of the Snark
Dates: July 17 - 22
Venue: The Playhouse
Ages: 6+