A Bucket of Beetles
7 – 8 June 2025
In the Studio
Kids & Families
Ages 5+ | From Yogyakarta’s renowned Papermoon Puppet Theatre this is the story of a beautiful friendship, following the story of a little boy Wehea and a very special rhinoceros beetle...
| Date | Time |
|---|---|
| Saturday 7 June 2025 | 12:30pm, 3pm |
| Sunday 8 June 2025 | 10:30am, 1:15pm |
| Tickets | Price |
|---|---|
| Standard | |
| Premium | $49 |
| A Reserve | $39 |
| Groups 6+ Groups of 6 or more save on this performance. Please call +61 9250 7700 for more information. | |
| Premium | $45 |
| A Reserve | $35 |
| Package Tickets | Price |
|---|---|
2025 Kids at the House - Buy 3 Events Buy 3 events and save BOOK NOW | |
| Premium | $44.10 |
| A Reserve | $35.10 |
2025 Kids at the House - Buy 4+ Events Buy 4 or more events and save BOOK NOW | |
| Premium | $41.65 |
| A Reserve | $35.10 |
$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.
The only authorised ticket agency for this event is Sydney Opera House. For more information about Authorised Agencies, see the frequently asked questions below.
Sydney Opera House Insiders pre-sale
9am, Tuesday 19 November 2025
Become a Sydney Opera House Insider to receive exclusive pre-sale access
What’s On e-newsletter pre-sale
9am, Wednesday 20 November 2025
General Public tickets on-sale
9am, Thursday 21 November 2025
Wheelchair accessible:
There are a number of wheelchair and companion seating locations in our theatres. To book accessible seating contact Box Office:
Telephone
+61 2 9250 7777
(Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm AEST)
Email bookings@sydneyoperahouse.com
Find out more about accessibility at Sydney Opera House.
Run time
This performance runs for approximately 50 minutes.
Event duration is a guide only and may be subject to change.
Age
Recommended for ages 5+.
Children aged 15 years and under must be accompanied at all times.
The Opera House is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children that visit or engage with us. Read our Child Safety Policy.
Group bookings
Are you an OOSH or day care group? Please contact groupbookings@sydneyoperahouse.com to coordinate a large group booking for this performance.
Glam Adelaide for MwathirikaThe standard of puppetry is extraordinary. The energy and artistic integrity of this company shines through in every scene.
Useful information:
Are we taking care of our water, soil and air enough?
Wehea is a little boy who lives in a big rainforest. Just like many other people who live there, he has a special connection with nature. Even the smallest beings in the forest are his friends. One day, Wehea meets a very special beetle – a rhinoceros beetle – and together they embark on an epic, life-changing adventure.
Based on a story told by a four-year-old boy (all of the animal puppet designs in the show are based on his drawings) A Bucket of Beetles is more than just a story of a beautiful friendship. It's a story about learning to appreciate the small things to then be able to appreciate bigger things. A story that leaves us questioning: are we taking care of our water, soil, and air enough?
Following successful tours across the US, Netherlands, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore, Papermoon Puppet Theatre now brings this mesmerising show to the Sydney Opera House for the first time.
Sydney Opera House presents a Papermoon Puppet Theatre production.
A Bucket of Beetles performance at the Sydney Opera House received grant funding from the Australia-Indonesia Institute of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
About Papermoon Puppet Theatre
Papermoon Puppet Theatre was founded in April 2006 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia by Co-Artistic Director Maria Tri Sulistyani (Ria). She has since nurtured, developed and expanded the company together with Co-Artistic Director Iwan Effendi, a visual artist and Papermoon’s puppet designer. Among other close collaborators, we work with a collective of puppeteers, which includes Anton Fajri, Pambo Priyojati, Beni Sanjaya, Muhammad Alhaq and Hardiansyah Yoga.
To date, Papermoon Puppet Theatre has created more than 30 puppet performances and visual art installations and exhibitions, and have toured to more than 10 countries. In 2008, they launched Pesta Boneka, an international puppet biennale that welcomes puppeteers from around the world to Yogyakarta, where they can share their work in a community setting.
Producer
Papermoon Puppet Theatre
Story
Lunang Pramusesa & Maria Tri Sulistyani
Artistic Directors
Maria Tri Sulistyani & Iwan Effendi
Puppet Engineer
Anton Fajri
Puppet Design
Anton Fajri, Iwan Effendi, M. Alhaq & Lunang Pramusesa
Lighting Designer
Anton Fajri
Music Composer
Yennu Ariendra & Ari Wulu
Music Director & Operator
Iwan Effendi
Costume Maker
Retno Intiani
Puppeteers, Puppets & Set Builder
Pambo Priyojati, Beni Sanjaya, M. Alhaq, Hardiansyah Yoga & Lunang Pramusesa
Plan your visit
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.
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.
From a Child’s Idea to the Stage
6 Jun 2025
Join the award-winning Papermoon Puppet Theatre, creators of A Bucket of Beetles, for an exclusive masterclass into their unique creative process.
A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings
16 & 17 Aug 2025
Ages 8+ | A magic-realist gem of theatre and storytelling from Ireland, using a combination of music, puppetry and live video projection. Inspired by the story by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
City of Wonder
10 – 18 Jul 2025
Ages 4+ | City of Wonder is an interactive workshop for families and kids that fosters creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration in an engaging and inclusive way.
