A man tossing dice into the air. He sits in a burnt orange room and wears a black crown.

Faust Gounod

  • Opera
  • Opera Australia
  • Joan Sutherland Theatre
  • Run time: 200 minutes, including 1 interval Subject to change
  • Seating map

What would you give up your soul for?

Faust intends to win his heart’s desires, even if it costs him his soul.

The charming Méphistophélès offers him a salacious journey through life’s pleasures. Faust bargains away eternity and dives right in. But as the lives around him start to unravel, the devil, it seems, is in the detail.

This grand production from one of opera’s greatest living directors, Sir David McVicar, is set in the decadence and debauchery of 1870s Paris. It features Gounod’s most beautiful music: the famous Soldiers’ Chorus, the rousing Le veau d’or and Marguerite’s beautiful Jewel Song.

Faust is grand opera at its very best, with a hefty dose of theatricality.

Based on the co-production by Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Opéra de Monte-Carlo, Opéra de Lille, and Fondazione Teatro Lirico Giuseppe Verdi, Trieste and first performed at Covent Garden.

This production was commissioned by the Opera Conference, Australia’s national partnership of professional opera companies.

Presented by Opera Australia and Philip Bacon AO.

Event details

Cast and creatives

Conductor Nikolas Nägele
Director Sir David McVicar
Set Designer Charles Edwards
Costume Designer Brigitte Reiffenstuel
Lighting Designer Paule Constable
Choreographer Michael Keegan-Dolan

Faust Stefan Pop
Marguerite Siobhan Stagg
Méphistophélès Rafał Siwek
Valentin Andrew Finden
Siebel Emily Edmonds
Marthe Sian Sharp
Wagner Jake Lyle

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Plan your visit

Address

Sydney Opera House
Bennelong Point
Sydney NSW 2000
Australia

Getting to the venue

The Opera House is a 7-10 minute walk from Circular Quay, and is easily accessible by car, train, ferry, lightrail, bus, bike and on foot.

Location and access

Joan Sutherland Theatre

The Joan Sutherland Theatre is located at the northern side of the foyer, to the left hand side of the stairs leading to the Concert Hall. Best accessed through the covered concourse. All Sydney Opera House foyers are 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).

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