A Bucket of Beetles Friendship, adventure and magical bugs
Term 2
Primary - High School: Stage 1 – 6, Years 1 – 12
Learning areas: Creative Arts, Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia, Intercultural Understanding
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...
| Term | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Term 2 | Wednesday 4 June 2025 | 10am, 12:30pm |
| Term 2 | Thursday 5 June 2025 | 10am, 12:30pm |
| Term 2 | Friday 6 June 2025 | 10am, 12:30pm |
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Standard | $35 |
One complimentary teacher per class. Ratio required for supervision is one teacher per 15 students.
The only authorised ticket agency for this event is the Sydney Opera House. For more information about authorised agencies, see the frequently asked questions below.
Arts Assist: The Arts Assist ticket and travel subsidy program provides the full cost of the Creative Learning performance ticket and $5 per student toward travel costs. Find out more about Arts Assist.
We cater to students of all needs and will make every effort to accommodate any special requirements or access adjustments your students may have. All of our venues are wheelchair accessible with dedicated wheelchair positions and companion seats. Please let us know on the booking form how we can assist in making your excursion as enjoyable as possible and we will be in touch. Alternatively, you may call Creative Learning on +61 2 9250 7770 (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm AEST) or email creativelearning@sydneyoperahouse.com.
Find out more about accessibility at Sydney Opera House.
This performance will be held in the Studio.
Run time: The duration of this event is 65 minutes which includes a 50 minute performance and a 15 minute question and answer session with the artists on stage. Event duration is a guide only and may be subject to change.
The Opera House is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children that visit or engage with us. Download our Child Safety Policy (PDF).
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.
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 for students of all ages from Stage 1 upwards.
Sydney Opera House presents a Papermoon Puppet Theatre production.
A Bucket of Beetles events at the Sydney Opera House received grant funding from the Australia-Indonesia Institute of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
4 – 6 June 2025
Shadow Puppetry Installation Workshop
Deepen student’s engagement with the performance of A Bucket of Beetles with a 90 min making workshop with Papermoon and puppetry artists. Students will make shadow installations using branches and leaves, to explore the magic of puppetry and the performance’s deep connection to nature and friendship.
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
Please ensure that your group arrives at the venue 30 minutes prior to the performance start time. Latecomers may only be admitted to a performance during a suitable break, and in some cases, may be excluded. Please call the Creative Learning team on 02 9250 7770 to notify us if you are running late.
Your safety and security is paramount to us during your visit to the Opera House. Therefore, all items larger than the dimensions of a standard A4 piece of paper must be checked in to the cloakroom. As they have limited space, we ask that teachers and students do not bring large bags/backpacks to the performance. Some bag trolleys may be available for your school in the Western Foyers. Please ensure that any prohibited items are left at home (e.g. scissors).
Students are encouraged to bring their own lunch and snacks, however you’ll find food and drinks outlets on the lower level of the concourse.
Please note food and drink are permitted inside the foyers, but only bottled water in the venues.
We recommend that students take their meal breaks on the Monumental Steps/Forecourt or in the Botanic Gardens immediately adjacent the SOH precinct. In inclement weather, there is ample room to take breaks underneath the Monumental Steps. In situations of particularly poor weather, breaks can be had in the Western Foyer. We ask that you please limit this to an as needed basis to avoid foyer congestion for other members of the General Public. There are several food and beverage options on site, as well as food and beverage options close by in Circular Quay.
Frequently asked questions
Please ensure that your group arrives at the venue 30 minutes prior to the performance start time.
If you are late, we will seat you as soon as possible, but please be aware that some events have lock out periods where late comers cannot be admitted until a suitable break in the performance. Occasionally this is not until the interval, and in some instances late comers won’t be admitted at all.
Yes, use this information to prepare a risk assessment and risk management plan. Teachers undertaking a risk assessment and risk management plan should be aware that Sydney Opera House cannot complete the risk assessment for them.
Food and drink are permitted inside the foyers, but not in the venues.
Please contact our Creative Learning Ticketing Specialists on 02 9250 7770 as soon as possible to advise if your group can no longer attend.
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.
Getting here
We are a 15-minute walk from Circular Quay, the closest station for public transport via train, bus and ferry. To view timetable information and ensure your public transport needs can be met, please check the Transport NSW website.
Buses and coaches can’t park onsite at Sydney Opera House. Large buses must disembark passengers on Macquarie Street in the allocated drop off zone. Please contact City of Sydney to confirm bus and coach set down areas. We recommend allowing an additional 10 minutes for walking from Macquarie Street.
Excursions at the Opera House
A Day Out at the House
Offer your students to an unforgettable day out at the Sydney Opera House with our new curated program. Students can attend a Creative Learning Performance or Workshop onsite accompanied by a Walking Tour of our internationally renowned performing arts centre, all in time to back by the final school bell.
Arts Assist
Does your School need financial assistance to attend a Sydney Opera House excursion?
Schools Tour
Filled with stories that demonstrate the power of creativity, students join a guided tour to learn how architect Jørn Utzon created a sculpture on Sydney Harbour that changed the course of 20th century architecture.
