Meremere
Rodney Bell | Ngāti Maniapoto
An award-winning performance documentary from renowned dancer and performer Rodney Bell Ngāti Maniapoto, drawing on his Maori culture and extraordinary life experience. This richly layered work marries speech, music, dance and technology.
In the The Studio | Theatre, First Nations
COVID-safe and event information
The health, safety and wellbeing of everyone at the Opera House is our priority. When you return to the Opera House, you will notice some important changes that have been implemented to keep the community safe, which are regularly reviewed and updated in consideration of the Public Health Order prevailing at the time. Please follow our conditions of entry at all times:
- Face masks are strongly recommended for all patrons while inside our theatres and foyers, including during the performance. Please bring your own mask;
- As you move around the Opera House, practise physical distancing (1.5 metres whenever possible) and follow the guidance provided by our staff and signage; and
- Within venues, always take your allocated seat.
Please refer to our updated General Terms and Conditions for Tickets and Attendance at Events for detailed information about our ticketing policies. These conditions may change between the time of purchase and the event date. Ticketholders will be contacted directly regarding any changes to their event.
Please check our plan your visit page prior to attending the Opera House for the most up-to-date information.
Pre-sale and on-sale information
Pre-sale timings:
- Insider Member Priority – 8am, Wednesday 29 June 2022
- What’s On e-newsletter pre-sale – 9am, Wednesday 29 June 2022
General public on sale 9am, Friday 1 July 2022
Four performances between Thursday 25 August 2022 to Saturday 27 August 2022
Thursday, 25 August, 6pm
Friday, 26 August, 6pm*
Saturday, 27 August, 2pm^
Saturday, 27 August, 6pm
*AUSLAN Interpreted Performance
^Relaxed Performance
Standard tickets from $35 | $8.50 Booking Fee applies per transaction
In order to maintain physical distancing within venues, tickets will mostly be sold in multiples of two, however limited allocations of single tickets and odd numbered groupings of tickets will also be available. Tickets may also be sold in single seat patterns for certain Events.
| Ticket | Description & price |
|---|---|
| Premium | $45 |
| A Reserve | $35 |
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. Children aged 0-23 months at the time of a performance may be seated on a parent’s lap free of charge. All children occupying a seat or aged 2 year/s of age or older must hold a valid ticket.
The authorised agencies for this event is Sydney Opera House. For more information about Authorised Agencies, see the FAQ below.
This show runs for 60 minutes
Event duration is a guide only and may be subject to change.
In English | Wheelchair accessible | Audio Loop available | Auslan and Relaxed Performance available | Social Story available
· Access FAQs answered about the show.
· Download Social Story here.
Friday 26 August, 6pm - Auslan Interpreted Performance
Auslan interpretation service is provided for audiences who are deaf and use Australian Sign Language (Auslan). A block of seats is reserved for users of this service to ensure a good view of the interpreter. If you wish to be seated in this area for a performance, please phone the Contact Centre on 02 9250 7777 or email bookings@sydneyoperahouse.com to book your seats.
Saturday 27 August, 2pm - Relaxed performance
Relaxed performances are open to everyone including people who are autistic, people with disabilities that create sensory sensitivities and anyone who would benefit from a more relaxed environment. There is an open door policy allowing for movement in and out of the venue and staff will be able to direct patrons who require a quiet, low sensory space to a suitable location in the foyer area. A social story is provided in advance for reference about the journey to the venue and the elements of the show itself.
Find out about accessibility at Sydney Opera House.
Recommended for all ages
Children aged 15 years and under must be accompanied at all times.
“This autobiographical, multi-disciplinary and life-affirming survival story drew the cheering opening night audience to its feet.”
Dominion Post
A life-affirming survival story, with culture at its heart
Rodney Bell was paralysed from the chest down after a motorbike accident 31 years ago. Afterwards, he took to the stage, his wheelchair becoming a fluid extension of his body.
Bell reveals his journey from principal dancer in California’s AXIS Dance Company to a devastating period of homelessness in San Francisco, culminating in his homecoming in Aotearoa in New Zealand. This life changing experience inspired the creation of Meremere.
Meremere has won multiple awards including Actor of the Year, Director of the Year, Sound Design of the Year, and Excellence Award for AV Design at the Wellington Theatre Awards.
Meremere was developed in collaboration with director Malia Johnston’s performance design company Movement of the Human (MOTH).
Book now for this compelling and profound performance by a masterful First Nations storyteller.
Presented by the Sydney Opera House.
Make the most of your experience...
Ticket Only
Ticket Only
Ticket + Prepaid Food and Beverage
Add a drinks voucher or food voucher to your purchase and redeem it at any of the foyer bars inside the Opera House.
Ticket + Tour & Dine
Attend a performance, enjoy a meal at Opera Kitchen, and take a guided Sydney Opera House Tour. See menu below. Note: the tour may be sold out or unavailable on your selected date. If there is availability, you will select your desired tour time in the following screen. Please check you have the "Tour & Dine" product displayed in your cart before you continue to payment.
Venue Information
Performances are being sold to 100% capacity in line with the NSW Public Health Order. This includes all shows in the Concert Hall, Joan Sutherland Theatre, Studio, Playhouse, Drama Theatre and Utzon Room. Please note that you will be seated directly alongside other ticketholders.
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. Please remember to maintain physical distancing whilst consuming drinks in our foyers.
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 consistent with COVID-safe rules.
Transport options
- We encourage you to use private transport options to minimise crowding on public transport (in line with NSW Government advice).
- 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 their website for details.
- Please check the Transport NSW website for the latest advice and information on travel and COVID-19 safety measures. You can catch public transport (bus, train, ferry) to Circular Quay and enjoy a six min walk to the Opera House.
What safety measures have you implemented?
Nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of everyone on site, and we are closely following NSW Health guidelines and advice. The Sydney Opera House is registered as a COVID Safe business with the NSW Government. For detailed information about our COVID-19 safety measures and what’s required of you when visiting, please see our plan your visit page.
What am I required to do as an audience member?
Face masks are strongly recommended for all patrons while inside our theatres and foyers, including during the performance. Please bring your own mask.
As you move around the Opera House, practise physical distancing (1.5 metres whenever possible) and follow the guidance provided by our staff and signage.
Within venues, always take your allocated seat.
For detailed information about our COVID-19 safety measures and what’s required of you, please see our plan your visit page.
Do I need to be vaccinated to visit the Sydney Opera House?
The Sydney Opera House no longer requires patrons to show that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Am I required to wear a mask?
Face masks are strongly recommended for all patrons while inside our theatres and foyers, including during the performance. Please bring your own mask.
How are you managing contact tracing?
Contact information is required when making a booking with us and upon arrival at the Opera House, as set out in our General Terms and Conditions for Tickets and Attendance at Events and our Customer Privacy Statement.
As the ticket purchaser, you are responsible for recording the contact details of your guests. Contact information will only be used for the purposes of contact tracing, if required, and will be deleted at least 28 days after your event.
Frequently Asked Questions - Performance and Venue
What time do I need to arrive before the event?
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. It is encouraged that you 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.
Ticketholders must comply with the directions of Opera House ushers to assist with contact tracing.
Details of our right to refuse admission can be found in our General Terms and Conditions for Tickets and Events.
Will there be bag checks, and is cloaking available?
In line 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 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.
Can my baby sit on my lap?
- All audience members, including babies, are counted toward the allowable capacity and must hold a valid ticket for admission.
- A specific children’s price may be available on certain events. On others a standard ticket price may apply.
- For our Sydney Opera House Presents programming, babies aged 0-11 months at the time of a performance may be seated on a parent’s lap but they must hold a valid Babes in Arms ticket ($10) and children aged 12 months and older will need to hold a standard ticket.
- Children aged 15 years and under must be accompanied at all times.
Does my child need to wear a face mask?
Children under the age of 12 are not required to wear a face mask.
Who are the authorised ticket sellers for this event?
The authorised agencies for this event are Sydney Opera House, *************Opera Australia, and Ticketmaster including Ticketmaster Platinum auction listing (as the primary authorised agencies for ticket sale) but excluding Ticketmaster Resale as a secondary resale platform.***************** 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.
What if I can't come to my performance?
Please contact Box Office on 9250 7777 as soon as possible to advise if you can no longer attend. If you can no longer attend because you are unwell, or have been in contact with someone displaying COVID-19 symptoms, the Opera House has introduced flexible ticketing options to help you, find out more information here.
Will there be food and beverages available to be purchased in the venue?
- Foyers will be open 60 minutes pre-show for Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and two hours pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Refreshments will be available for purchase from our theatre bars, and should be consumed while seated in designated foyers spaces.
- Drinks purchased at our theatre bars can also be taken into venues for most performances.
- 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. It is encouraged that you take your seats as soon as you arrive.
- 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.
Will there be pram parking at kids performances?
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 in the Western Foyer adhering to COVID-safe rules.
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