UnWrapped
An ongoing series of short, smart and surprising events from independent creators. Each one is handpicked to give you the chance to witness captivating visions and true artistry, stripped back to its most breathtaking core.
Cabaret as you’ve never seen it before! Steven Oliver, the star of ABC’s hit television series Black Comedy, is fresh and fabulous in the world premiere production, based on his own life.
Reality has always been augmented—by the limits of our human perception. Sky Blue Mythic stands at a threshold of cascading horizons. An avatar is adrift in an unknowable but familiar setting, where worlds loom, times loop, gestures distill and meanings distort. An interface of flesh searching for new ways of being, Sky Blue Mythic sees the body alienated, and the alien embodied. An ethereal thriller that highlights the presence and absence between worlds, Sky Blue Mythic is a recalibration of the ways we know dance, the body, and time.
Project Masnavi, by the award winning Eishan Ensemble led by the inimitable tar player Hamed Sadeghi, is a sublime and powerful response to centuries old Persian poetry. In a world-premiere and across two nights, Sadeghi and his Eishan Ensemble will perform this new music, showcasing their signature blend of Persian Classical with Western Jazz and improvisation.
Freya Schack-Arnott and Bonnie Stewart (of Bonniesongs) perform an intimate set of new, transcendent music as part of their newly established duo Runa Cara. Their sound draws on their respective Danish and Irish heritage and Celtic and Scandinavian song traditions. This beautiful, ethereal set will include traditional Irish and Scandinavian folk songs as well as some original pieces.
R+J RMX is an extraordinary experience in which a group of performers - with the help of an audience and Story AI Technology - take Shakespeare’s well-loved play and generate new story possibilities, in real time.
Apotheosis - a real-time motion capture performance featuring live music by ptwiggs and movement by Lydia Kivela. Inspired by the glaring neon ambience of Spring Breakers and Cyberpunk, Apotheosis ushers audiences through a hallucinogenic dreamscape populated by demons.
UnWrapped: Dances for Now
Explore the contemporary dance works of five Sydney choreographers. Each artist dances their own choreography, responding to a soundtrack that has inspired them to reflect on this moment, its challenges and transformative possibilities.
UnWrapped: New Works for Film
Watch the premiere film release of the original digital works created by independent local artists as a part of the Sydney Opera House's Digital Mentorship Program. Featuring works from Anya McKee (Dance Makers Collective), Victoria Hunt and Roslyn Helper.
How to be Anti-Racist in the Arts
What does it mean to be an ally to people of colour? Why is it important to remove blackface from our streaming services? And what can the creative sector do to advance racial equity? Diversity Arts Australia and the British Council are proud to host this timely conversation in partnership with Sydney Opera House to launch the Creative Equity Toolkit.
Margaret Leng Tan toys with the limits of theatre
Experimental piano pioneer Margaret Leng Tan has made her theatre debut – at the age of 74
The confronting power of ‘soft sci-fi’
The creators of Stranger Things-esque 'The Irresistible' let go of reality to undermine oppression.
Ghenoa Gela's powerful, political dance
The Torres Strait Mainlander breaks the stereotypes of dance.
Part DIY shed, part Medieval research centre, part obsessive Bunnings shopping spree, CRUSH blows up the boundaries of the physical body and mind. Get tickets for CRUSH now.
Captivating world music. Inspired poetic melodies. Soft blowing improvisations. Vazesh is a magnetic improvising trio comprised of renowned Iranian tar player Hamed Sadeghi, saxophonist-bass clarinettist Jeremy Rose, and bassist Lloyd Swanton. Get tickets to Vazesh now.
Enchanting rhythm. Effortless harmonies. Sophisticated jazz. Zela Margossian Quintet is an ARIA nominated ethno-jazz band with influences from Armenian traditional music.
March 2020 (Cancelled due to COVID-19)
CANCELLED:
New music icon Margaret Leng Tan, who gained fame as the world's first toy piano virtuoso, presents a work that sweeps across the senses. Dragon Ladies Don’t Weep is a sonic portrait of a woman, and an evocative exploration of memory, time, control and loss.
CANCELLED:
A man searches for his father in paintings of freshly fallen snow. A man tries to ask questions his memory won't allow. A man only finds home in voice messages.
CANCELLED:
Choreographic visionary and dance artist Jo Lloyd brings her critically acclaimed new work to Sydney. This playful performance explores the unrequited and the unattainable, the objects of our obsessions and the lost heroes we will never know.
September 2019
Wild creatures. Plane crashes. Mysterious happenings. Stranger Things meets Twin Peaks in this binge-worthy scifi thriller. Direct from Dark Mofo, this is your chance to experience an other-worldly live performance that is simply irresistible.
Gripping tension. Inescapable suspense. Mind-bending predicaments. Experience beyond edge of your seat theatre as artist Lee Wilson pushes his self-made obstacle course past the breaking point. Cardboard boxes, balloons and packing tape – a DIY dream.
Humanity is at a crossroads and planetary climate disaster is looming. What, exactly, can we do about it? And what does it mean to be living in the midst of all this? Artist David Finnigan asks the hard questions and merges science with theatre in this unlikely documentary of sounds, stories and beats.
In this intimate performance lecture, award winning Australian performer Rosalind Crisp explores the potential of dance as a medium to embody, capture and connect with stories of environmental destruction.
Festival UnWrapped 2019
Prepare for your jaw to drop in wonder as opera star Ali McGregor's extraordinary voice brings a lost musical icon back to life. From the highest of highs, to the lowest of lows, you do not want to miss this captivating cabaret.
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Legendary photographer. Sydney chronicler. Writer. William Yang presents imagery from his vast archive to deliver an emotive, educational photographic lecture, set to throbbing beats.
Dance. Comedy. Storytelling and more. If you don't know Ghenoa Gela, it's time to get in the know. This incredible Australian artist is sharing her story in the humorous, irreverent and moving, My Urrwai.
Dance breaks. Killer vocals. Seriously powerful women. Join five kick-ass millennials in this captivating call to action about the critical issues of our times. An unmissable theatrical experience.
Are you ready to die? Death, cremation, contracts and coffins. Nothing is off limits in this bold new performance by Australian artist Lara Thoms and ex-funeral director Scott Turnbull.
Join the artists of Festival UnWrapped in a panel discussion on how they shape their own lived experience into performance.
August 2018
One of Australia’s most fearless dance companies, Lucy Guerin Inc. bring their award-winning production for a strictly limited season. Get tickets for Split now.
From piercings and parties to marriage and motherhood, celebrate a lifetime of friendship in this hilarious new theatre work by acclaimed performance trio, post. Get tickets for Ich Nibber Dibber now.
No maps, charts or diagrams - explore climate change with a panel of prominent Australian artists and advocates in an afternoon of conversation, performance and installation. Register now.
Native Tongue is a raw and intimate performance by Mojo Juju and her band. Sharing stories and songs from her soon to be released album - it’s honest, emotional, straight from the heart. Get tickets for Mojo Juju: Native Tongue now.
May 2018
Acclaimed Australian dancer-choreographer performs in her solo debut — a powerful contemporary work exploring impermanence, fragility and mortality. Kristina Chan performs in UnWrapped: a series of contemporary performances by remarkable Australian artists.
With two of Australia’s rising cabaret stars at the helm, you will stumble and soar through tales of love and women, gin and secrets. Maeve Marsden and Libby Wood perform in UnWrapped: a series of contemporary performances by remarkable Australian artists.
Personal is a performance exploring the experience of being only hearing person in a Deaf family. Jodee Mundy performs in UnWrapped: a series of contemporary performances by remarkable Australian artists.
Whether doting or distant, joker or tyrant, a father is a terrible weight to carry around. Gideon Obarzanek and Brian Lipson perform in UnWrapped: a series of contemporary performances by remarkable Australian artists.
Artist and Sector Development
The Sydney Opera House's Artist & Sector Development program aims to support local Australian artists, small companies and producers through presentation platforms and unique professional development opportunities. The program also offers opportunities and capacity building through mentorship and training.