A shirtless man doing a split mid air. Atmospheric lights surround the photograph, with Sydney Opera House guests watching in awe.

Contemporary Performance presented by Sydney Opera House

Unmissable stories for the stage

Contemporary Performance at the Sydney Opera House offers audiences entertainment in all its forms. From jaw-dropping circus and spectacular magic to side-splitting comedy, stories that capture the imagination told through dance or sung by powerful voices, to immersive experiences and cabaret that will get the heart-rate racing – the program guarantees a great night out for any occasion. 

The vibrant program presents boundary-pushing performances, contemporary retellings of the classics and the productions and icons at the heart of popular culture – all brought to life by the crème-de-la-crème of artists, performers and directors from Australia and around the world.  

Theatre & Musical Theatre

Recent highlights include smash-hit shows direct from London’s West End including The Play That Goes Wrong and Pride & Prejudice* (Sort Of), alongside Jonathan Biggins’ The Gospel According to Paul, and the newest work from prolific New Zealand theatre makers Indian Ink, Balloon Dog.   

Musical theatre presentations include a contemporary revival of Calamity Jane led by Virginia Gay, the Australian premiere of Elf The Musical in a heartwarming adaptation of the festive film, designed for the Concert Hall, and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights.

The cast of Calamity Jane being applauded on stage. The set is rustic and wooden with the sign The Golden Garter reading above them. A live pianist can be seen as well as theatre-goers applauding.
Calamity Jane, 2025, Daniel Boud

Cabaret & Magic

From blockbuster magic spectacles like Now You See Me Live, based on the hit Lionsgate film series, which brought jaw-dropping illusions and mind-bending sleight of hand, to renowned mentalist Scott Silven’s The Lost Things challenging audiences to reconsider the powers of the mind.  

The program also boats an impressive lineup of cabaret performances such as immersive theatrical experience GATSBY at the Green Light which dazzled audiences with an evocative collision of cabaret and burlesque inspired by F. Scott’s Fitzgerald’s classic, and La Clique, a glittering and titillating love-letter to cabaret and variety. 

A woman dangling upside down from a hoop on stage wearing sparkling heels.
Velvet Inferno, 2026, Ken Leanfore

Dance & Circus

The latest dance works presented include Netherlands hip-hop export Elements of Freestyle by ISH Dance Collective, an entertaining mix of breakdance, hip-hop, BMX and skateboarding, and LA Dance Project’s Romeo & Juliet Suite, by world-renowned choreographer Benjamin Millepied, which blended performance and cinema from hidden corners of the Opera House to the stage in real-time. 

The Opera House has also presented leading international productions from pre-eminent dance companies and choreographers including Sadler’s Wells and Zoo Nation, Restless Dance, Nick Power, Anne Tournié, Akram Khan, Ballet Preljocaj and Hofesh Shechter OBE.  

Recent circus productions include LOUDER, a New Work Now commission from South Australian Circus mavericks Gravity and Other Myths in collaboration with the Brandenburger Symponiker, and Circa’s Duck Pond, which flipped Tchaikovsky’s beloved classic Swan Lake on its head.  

A rollerblader performing a trick at the top of a pipe.
Elements of Freestyle, 2025, Ken Leanfore

Comedy

From razor-sharp stand-up to laugh-out-loud sketch comedy, recent presentations have featured some of Australia’s most celebrated comedians, including Tom Gleeson, Celia Pacquola, Lano & Woodley, Hannah Gadsby and Rove McManus.

A woman with short hair and glasses standing in front of a microphone, looking into the distance.
Hannah Gadsby's 'Nanette', 2017, Ben King

Programming highlights

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  • Several performers in black sparkling bodysuits preparing to catch a woman who has been launched into the air.
    Duck Pond, 2026, Daniel Boud
  • The cast of The Play That Goes Wrong peeping through a curtained window on stage.
    The Play That Goes Wrong, 2025, Jordan Munns
  • The leading women of Pride and Prejudice preforming in white gowns.
    Pride & Prejudice* (sort of), 2026, Prudence Upton
  • The cast of Amadeus wearing detailed costumes on stage. Michael Sheen is standing up front, raising his hands in the air.
    Amadeus, 2022, Daniel Boud
  • Performers of Now You See me Live in a glass box on an elaborate stage.
    Now You See Me Live, 2025, Daniel Boud
  • A man hoists a fellow performer into the air as she poses. Several other cast members dance around the pair, in an aquatic themed set.
    Message in a Bottle, 2023, Daniel Boud
  • Two performers dramatically dancing on a dimly lit red stage. They are wearing contrasting blue and red costumes.
    Romeo & Juliet Suite, 2024, Daniel Boud
  • Malevo performers wearing cross body drums raising a drumstick into the air.
    Malevo, 2024, Jordan Munns
  • A dazzling circus performance with puppet elephants, a variety of performers and a magician tipping their top hat centre stage.
    Circus 1903, 2023, Ken Leanfore
  • A wide shot of the Penn & Teller show, with dazzling lights, chandeliers and onlooking audience. Several people sit on the stage while the magician orchestrates the experience.
    Penn & Teller, 2025, Ken Leanfore

Harry Prouse Head of Contemporary Performance

Harry Prouse is an arts leader with extensive experience in commercial and contemporary performance across Australia. 

His appointment as Head of Contemporary Performance in November 2025 followed four years of senior producing roles at the Sydney Opera House. Working in theatre, musical theatre, circus, cabaret, dance and comedy, he has led the delivery of cornerstone programming including Amadeus starring Michael Sheen as part of the Opera House’s 50th anniversary celebrations, a sold-out season of Penn & Teller and the world premiere of GATSBY at the Green Light. 

Prior to joining the Opera House, he produced commercial theatre seasons for Kay & McLean Productions and Tinderbox Productions, and held a number of positions across touring, audience development, venue management, marketing and licensing in organisations including Music Theatre International, The LUME – Grande Experiences and fortyfivedownstairs. Early in his career, Harry produced Little BIGSOUND in partnership with QMusic, and 4 Walls Festival.  

Harry holds a Masters of Arts (Arts Management) from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, and a Bachelor of Arts from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.  

Harry Prouse wearing a blue suit, standing inside the Sydney Opera House.