Yong
23 & 24 June 2023
In the Studio
Kids & Families
A timeless coming-of-age story
Ages 10+ | Set against the backdrop of the Australian Goldrush of 1857, join Yong on an epic coming-of-age journey as he travels from his small village in China to Ballarat. Faced with momentous change, his courage and inner strength are tested in this sprawling and dynamic Asian-Australian story.
|
Date |
Time |
|
Friday 23 June |
10am, 12.45pm |
|
Saturday 24 June |
1pm, 4pm |
|
Standard |
Price |
|---|---|
|
Premium |
$39 |
|
A Reserve |
$29 |
|
Insider |
Price |
|---|---|
|
Premium |
$35 |
|
A Reserve |
$25 |
|
Group 5+ |
Price |
|---|---|
|
Premium |
$35 |
|
A Reserve |
$25 |
$8.95 booking fee applies per transaction
Prices correct at the time of publication and subject to change without notice. Exact prices will be displayed with seat selection. Children aged 15 years and under must be accompanied at all times.
The authorised agency for this event is Sydney Opera House. For more information about Authorised Agencies, see the FAQ below.
Run time
This show runs for approximately 60 minutes, with no interval
Event duration is a guide only and may be subject to change.
Age
Recommended for ages 10+
Children aged 15 years and under must be accompanied at all times, and children under the age of 12 are not required to wear a mask.
Please note that the production contains Themes of Parental Death, Racism and Simulated Violence.
Wheelchair accessible
Audio-Described performance available
Find out more about accessibility at Sydney Opera House.
Writer
Jenevieve Chang
Director
Darren Yap
Assistant Director
Eva Di Cesare
Production Designer
James Browne
Composer
Max Lambert
Lighting Designer
Ben Brockman
Movement Director
Angie Diaz
Sound Designer
Zac Saric
Adaptation Consultant
Sandra Eldridge
Chinese Cultural Consultant
Charles Zhang
First Nations Consultant & writer of the First Nations scene
Richard Frankland
Illustration
Kim Siew
Voice-over artists
Gabrielle Chan (Voice of Grandmother), Monica Sayers (Voice of Mother) & Shan-Ree Tran (Voice of Various Characters)
Jenevieve Chang, writerYong is a universally resonant story about a young boy who must learn to step out of the shadow of other people’s expectations to find himself.
Overcoming adversity and building courage
A storm rages. Thunder cracks, the wind a mournful howl, rain falls and waves crash. The wooden boat bucks and heaves. Yong holds on tight. He looks up at the moon and thinks of home.
Set against the backdrop of the Australian Goldrush of 1857, Yong is a new Australian play by Jenevieve Chang. Mixing historical fact and narrative fiction, Yong takes us on a journey across land and sea, from China to the goldfields of Australia. In overcoming difficult challenges, he discovers a resilience in himself that he never knew he had.
Please note that the production contains Themes of Parental Death, Racism and Simulated Violence.
Winner of the Sydney Theatre Award for Best Production for Children
A Monkey Baa Theatre Company production
Written for the stage by Jenevieve Chang
Based on the book Yong: The Journey of an Unworthy Son by Janeen Brian published by Walker Books Australia Pty Ltd
Supported by:
The Australian Government RISE fund
Australia Council for the Arts
NSW Government
Presented by Sydney Opera House
Gallery
of
About Monkey Baa Theatre Company
Monkey Baa Theatre Company creates and presents great theatre for young people. They collaborate with internationally acclaimed authors, award-winning creatives, and most importantly, imaginative young people, in bringing their shows to life.
Over 25 years, Monkey Baa has become one of Australia’s widest touring companies with 38 national tours to 135 regional and remote communities, 5 international tours and over 3500 performances reaching over 1.5 million young people.
The stories Monkey Baa shares embrace social and cultural connections, celebrate our rich cultural heritage and inspire young audiences to learn about the world and their place in it.
Meet the performer
George Zhao is an award-winning actor working across film, TV and theatre. In 2018 he won the Casting Guild Award of ‘Rising Star’.
George’s screen credits include the regular character of ‘Andrew Law’ in the award-winning series, FAMILY LAW, series 1, 2 & 3. The SBS web series Homecoming Queens, TV series Jack Irish, Sando and most recently, lead role of ‘Leo Gao’ in the feature film Runaway Millionaires.
Since graduating with a Bachelor of Dramatic Art in 2013 he has performed in leading roles in Monkey Tales (Monkey Baa Theatre Company), Screw Tape Letters (Twisted Tree Theatre Company), which toured nationally in 2016 and 2017 and more recently Harp in the south part 1 and 2 (STC) and Cosi (MTC).
Other information
Venue information
Our foyers will be open 90 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and two hours pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Refreshments will be available for purchase from our theatre bars.
All Sydney Opera House foyers are pram accessible, with lifts to the main and western foyers. The public lift to all foyers is accessible from the corridor near the escalators on the Lower Concourse and also in the Western Foyer via the corridor on the Ground Level (at the top of the escalators). Pram parking will be available outside the theatres in the Western Foyer.
Getting here
The Sydney Opera House Car Park, operated by Wilson Parking, is open and available to use. Wilson Parking offer discounted parking if you book ahead. Please see the Wilson Parking website for details.
Please check the Transport NSW website for the latest advice and information on travel. You can catch public transport (bus, train, ferry) to Circular Quay and enjoy a six minute walk to the Opera House.
Covid-safe information
The health and wellbeing of everyone attending the Opera House is our top priority. We’re committed to making your experience safe, comfortable and enjoyable, with a number of measures in place including regular cleaning of high-touch areas, air conditioning systems that maximise ventilation, and hand sanitiser stations positioned in all paths of travel. We remind our audiences and visitors to please stay home if you feel unwell. If you need to discuss your ticketing or booking options, contact our Box Office team on 02 9250 7777.
The health and wellbeing of everyone attending the Opera House is our top priority. We have a number of safety measures in place including regular cleaning of high-touch areas, air conditioning systems that maximise ventilation, and hand sanitiser stations positioned in all paths of travel. While face masks are no longer required, we ask all our patrons and visitors to practise good hygiene.
The Sydney Opera House no longer requires patrons to show that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Frequently asked questions
Ticket purchases and collection at our Box Office is discouraged and eTicket or postal delivery methods should be used, wherever possible. However, if you are collecting your tickets from the Box Office, we recommend doing this at least 60 minutes before the event starts. If you have already received your tickets, the venue doors will be open 45 minutes pre-show for Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and 30 minutes pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Please take your seats as soon as you arrive.
If you are late, we will seat you as soon as we can and, where possible, in your allocated seat. However, to reduce movement in the venue as well as minimise disruption to the performance and other patrons, ticketholders may be seated in an allocated latecomer’s seat. Please be aware that some events have lock-out periods. In these cases, latecomers will be admitted at a suitable break in the performance. On occasions, this may not be until the interval, or at all where there is no interval.
Details of our right to refuse admission can be found in our General Terms and Conditions for Tickets and Events.
In accordance with our venue security procedures, Opera House security will be scanning and checking bags under the Monumental Stairs, prior to entering the building. Bags will be scanned by an x-ray machine, and staff will wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when handling your belongings, such as gloves. Cloaking facilities will be open 60 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and 60 minutes pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. However it is strongly encouraged that you travel lightly to minimise contact and queuing. Any bags larger than an A4 piece of paper will need to be checked into the Cloak Room.
Children aged 15 years and under must be accompanied at all times. Babies aged 0-2 years old at the time of a performance may be seated on an adult’s lap. Children 2 years and older will need to hold a standard ticket.
The authorised agency for this event is the Sydney Opera House.
Only tickets purchased by authorised agencies should be considered reliable. If you purchase tickets from a non-authorised agency such as Ticketmaster Resale, Viagogo, Ticketbis, eBay, Gumtree, Tickets Australia or any other unauthorised seller, you risk that these tickets are fake, void or have previously been cancelled. RESALE RESTRICTION APPLIES. For more details, please refer to our General Terms and Conditions for Tickets and Attendance at Events.
Please contact Box Office on 9250 7777 as soon as possible to advise if you can no longer attend.
Foyers will be open 90 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and two hours pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Refreshments will be available for purchase from our theatre bars.
The venue doors will be open 45 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and 30 minutes pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances.
Please bring a credit or debit card for any on site purchases to enable contactless payment. You’re welcome to bring your own water bottle but no other food and drinks are permitted inside our venues. Opera Bar, Opera Kitchen and Portside are also available for you to enjoy.
All Sydney Opera House foyers are pram accessible, with lifts to the main and Western Foyers. The public lift to the foyers is accessible from the corridor near the escalators on the Lower Concourse and also in the Western Foyer via the corridor on the Ground Level (at the top of the escalators). Pram parking will be available outside the theatres.
The Opera House is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children that visit or engage with us. Read our Child Safety Policy.
The Opera House has also developed a Child-friendly Code of Conduct to engage with our youngest visitors.
You may also like
BullyBully
6 – 12 Jul 2025
Ages 3+ | Award-winning joyous physical-theatre for children and families featuring hilarious quarrels, catchy songs, and hilarious bickering banter.
A Bucket of Beetles
7 & 8 Jun 2025
Ages 5+ | From Yogyakarta’s renowned Papermoon Puppet Theatre comes a work grounded in Indonesia’s centuries-old traditions of puppetry, following the story of a little boy Wehea and a very special rhinoceros beetle...
Elements of Freestyle
26 – 29 Jun 2025
In this adrenaline-fuelled explosion of extreme urban sports, dance, music and theatre, the Netherlands' ISH Dance Collective create breathtaking poetry.
