The Sydney Opera House has revealed its packed autumn program of shows and workshops for babies, toddlers and kids, as well as an exciting new production coming to the stage this summer.
Press Release
Sydney
This autumn, the Sydney Opera House Kids’ program will feature the Australian premiere of You are the Sun – an enchanting opera for babies from Hurly Burly in the UK, the return of DOG MAN: The Musical due to popular demand after a sell-out season in 2024, internationally renowned Danish theatre group, Madam Bach’s interactive storytelling for toddlers You Are Here, and Mimi’s Symphony – a heartwarming orchestral tale about a magpie from one of Australia’s most beloved entertainers, Justine Clarke.
Monkey Baa Theatre Company and Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) today announced the world premiere of Where is the Green Sheep?. The stage adaptation of Mem Fox and Judy Horacek’s beloved book from one of Australian theatre’s leading creative teams blends puppetry and animation in a whirlwind adventure to find the elusive Green Sheep. After premiering at QPAC’s Out of the Box Festival, this much-anticipated new co-production will leap its way onto the Playhouse stage from 10-21 December before embarking on a national tour.
Sydney Opera House Head of Children, Families and Creative Learning, Tamara Harrison says: “I’m excited to be sharing our vibrant and engaging program for autumn and beyond. It’s fun, it’s magical, it’s colourful, and one that I hope will help children cultivate a lifelong love for the arts. From Australian story classics to international artists, we’ve got some remarkable new stage and musical experiences, school holiday workshops for kids to get creatively active in, and work that I trust will inspire memorable moments for families.”
Autumn highlights include:
BABIES
- You are the Sun || 15 – 22 March: An opera for babies. This HurlyBurly production for 0-2 year olds comes to Australia for the first time direct from the United Kingdom. Combining the joy of gentle classical singing and sensory play, it is an invitation to see beauty in the smallest things and to let plants be our guides.
TODDLERS
- You Are Here || 19 – 24 April: This delightful, sensory-rich production from Madam Bach in Denmark gently teaches toddlers aged 2+ about the finding their way in the world – and within themselves. Nurturing their creativity with vivid imagery, enchanting soundscapes using live music from strings, drums and an accordion, and poetic storytelling, this piece of visual theatre has been designed to speak directly to their senses.
CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
- DOG MAN: The Musical || 12 – 27 April: The global bestselling novel returns to the stage for a huge show filled with songs, laughs and beloved characters for audiences 8+. With the head of a dog and the body of a policeman who fights crime (and chews on the furniture), Dog Man is an epic musical adventure featuring the hilarity and heart of Dav Pilkey’s bestselling book.
- Mimi’s Symphony with Justine Clarke || 12 – 13 April: Writer and narrator Justine Clarke alongside composer and conductor Georgie Ellis will introduce children aged 3+ to brass, string, woodwind and percussion sections of the orchestra through a joyous sing-along as they join Mimi, a little magpie, who, after being blown from her nest, finds herself on the edge of a suburban oval.
CHILDREN’S WORKSHOPS
- Comic Book Illustration Workshop || 15 and 23 April: Children aged 8 – 14 years old will learn from local comic makers in this engaging drawing workshop inspired by DOG MAN: The Musical. Led by illustrator, cartoonist and comics educator, Fionn McCabe, animator and director, Evie Hilliar and international award animation director, Marieka Walsh, this participatory experience will see children create their own characters, jokes and stories in comic book form.
- Make-Believe Masters: Putting on a show || Thursday 24 April: A full-day theatre making workshop, where budding theatre-makers aged 12-16 will delve into the world of creating designs for set and costumes for a musical theatre show with award-winning designer Isabel Hudson. Hudson will walk participants through the entire theatre design process, from brainstorming ideas to the final production.
See details about the other workshops here
Summer headliner:
Where is the Green Sheep || 10 – 21 December: Mem Fox and Judy Horacek’s classic tale will make its Sydney Opera House debut this summer, taking audiences aged 1+ on a whirlwind adventure through a joyful blend of puppetry and animation. Children will meet Blue Sheep who loves his blue flowers and Red Sheep who loves to cartwheel in the fields, Bath Sheep who loves bubbles and Bed Sheep who loves to bounce… but the question remains… where is that Green Sheep?
Where is the Green Sheep? is a co-production with Queensland Performing Arts Centre’s Out of the Box Festival in association with Arts Centre Melbourne, Sydney Opera House and The Art House, Wyong.
