Patch Theatre in collaboration with Gravity & Other Myths I Wish... Term 1
10 – 11 April 2024
In the Playhouse
Schools
An Acrobatic and Technology Creative Learning Performance | Early Stage 1 - Stage 3 | I Wish... is an acrobatic adventure exploring all the things we could be. Through physical theatre, stunning visuals, and a healthy dose of humour, explore our differences to reveal the magic of individuality.
| Date | Time |
| Wednesday 10 April 2024 | 10am, 12.30pm |
| Thursday 11 April 2024 | 10am, 12.30pm |
| Ticket | Price |
| Standard | $25 |
One complimentary teacher per class. Ratio required for supervision is 1 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.
Suitable for Stages Early Stage 1 - Stage 3
This event is recommended for Years K - 5.
The Opera House is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children that visit or engage with us. Read our Child Safety Policy
Run time
The duration of this event is 55 minutes plus a 15 minute Question and Answer session with the artists on stage.
Event duration is a guide only and may be subject to change.
Warnings
Haze and lighting effects.
Creators
Geoff Cobham
Darcy Grant
Composer
Luke Smiles
Will Spartalis
Designer/Maker
Michelle ‘Maddog’ Delaney
Technical Designer
Alexander Hatchard
Costume Designer
Renate Henschke
Animation
Luku Kuku
Original Cast/Makers
Zoë Dunwoodie
Lisa Goldsworthy
Wakara Gondarra
Simon McClur
This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its arts funding and advisory body.
“What a brilliant show…. An imaginative, funny and thought-provoking time for me and my year two class.”
“It was so multi-faceted, that children could engage with it in whatever way was developmentally appropriate for them.”
“Relevant, relatable and wondrous!”
“Even students who are often difficult to engage were totally immersed during the performance.”
“A wonderful, engaging performance for students and adults.”
“This was one of the best school theatre performances I have seen in my 30 years of teaching”
Play & GoI Wish… is a visually stunning spectacle of lights, circus feats and self-exploration
An acrobatic adventure exploring all the things we could be...
People are made of stuff – good stuff and bad stuff, happy and sad stuff, stinky, odd, boring, dangerous, funny, sparkling potions of stuff. People also have secret ingredients – what could your secret ingredient be?
I Wish… is an exciting collaboration between two internationally renowned Australian performance companies – Patch Theatre (makers of ZOOOM) and the circus acrobatic company Gravity & Other Myths. Through physical theatre, stunning visuals, and a healthy dose of humour, students will be thrilled by gravity-defying acrobatics, and coloured lights and lasers.
The performers use their imaginations to explore all the things they could be – from an astronaut to a unicorn, and everything in between. While exploring all their big feelings on stage, the acrobats encourage students to see the power of exploring our differences to reveal the magic of individuality.
Sydney Opera House presents I Wish... by Patch Theatre in collaboration with Gravity & Other Myths
Darcy Grant is a classically trained acrobat, award-winning fine art photographer and physical theatre director.
Darcy is a founding member of Circa, revered as one of the world’s most adventurous, genre-defying circuses and has trained, taught and toured work on the bleeding edge of new circus at some of the world’s most prestigious venues.
Where theatre, dance, circus and visual art meet is where Darcy likes to practice. His visual aesthetic is foundation and scaffold to his show making.
In 2017 Darcy was co-commissioned by Adelaide International Arts Festival and Sydney Festival to direct Backbone by Gravity and Other Myths. The show premiered to 5-star reviews and standing ovations. Backbone won a 2018 Australian Dance Award for Outstanding Achievement in Physical Theatre and was nominated for three Helpmann Awards including Best Choreography and Best New Australian Work.
The Adelaide Festival commissioned Darcy to create another work for the 2019 Festival – Out of Chaos with Gravity & Other Myths – that also premiered to glowing critical and popular acclaim, winning a Helpmann award for Best Visual or Physical Theatre production. In 2021 Darcy Directed The Pulse – a genre defying work that subsequently won three International Circus Awards and in 2022 was adapted in to an outdoor work of scale MACRO that opened both Adelaide and Edinburgh international Arts Festivals in front of a combined Audience of 23,000 people.
Darcy is currently the Artistic Director of Gravity & Other Myths.
As a photographer, Darcy regularly shoots live performance for companies such as Opera Australia and The Farm. Darcy has had solo photographic exhibitions in Brisbane, Melbourne and Berlin.
Geoff Cobham is one of Australia’s leading culture professionals with over 40 years’ experience collaborating in all forms of theatre.
His artistic reputation both nationally and internationally comes from an outstanding multi-award-winning career working with several of Australia’s foremost arts organisations and events. He spent ten years as Associate Director of dance theatre Force Majeure, five years as resident designer at State Theatre Company South Australia and has worked in senior management roles at Sydney Festival, Adelaide Festival and WOMAD.
Geoff founded Bluebottle in 1998, an award-winning lighting design company which integrates outstanding lighting design into theatres, galleries, installations, architecture, exhibitions and music.
He has a long and notable history with Patch Theatre, having worked on a variety of productions including The Fastest Boy, Emily Loves to Bounce and Me & My Shadow before taking the reins as Artistic Director in 2018. Over the past three years Geoff has created in-theatre works ZOOOM and I Wish… and installation works Firefly Forest, Glow, The Lighthouse, Mirror Mirror, and Sea of Light, and in 2022 will premiere a new in-theatre work Home, created in collaboration with Restless Dance in 2022.
Patch Theatre creates visually captivating performances for 4–8-year-olds, exploring how children see the world. Their works place children at the centre of the performance, promoting imagination, wonder and discovery.
Founded in South Australia in 1972, Patch has produced over 100 unique works and won countless awards. Patch performances have been presented across Australia and the globe, capturing the imaginations of children worldwide.
Each year, Patch provides inspirational, design-rich theatre experiences to over 50,000 children.
Gravity & Other Myths (GOM) are one of Australia’s most acclaimed arts companies of the last decade; inspiring audiences, empowering artists and connecting communities worldwide.
Dubbed not small to medium but small and mighty, GOM is the only South Australian arts company of its size with such prolific and far-reaching output. Since GOM was founded in 2009, they have premiered eight acclaimed works presented in 37 countries to audiences in excess of 700,000; a testament to the experience of their leadership team and vision of their artists and key creatives.
GOM's work celebrates humanity, play and physical virtuosity. It is bold, cheeky, daring and innovative, a true product of the company that creates it.
A Day Out at the House
Are you looking to extend your school excursion time onsite at Sydney Opera House?
For specific performances and workshops over the year we have combined a ‘performance/workshop’ with a walking tour of Sydney Opera House for a total 3-4 hour experience for your students at the House.
Ticket and Travel Subsidy
The Sydney Opera House is committed to providing the very best national and international performing arts experiences to NSW students as part of their educational studies.
The Sydney Opera House Arts Assist program provides the full cost of the Creative Learning performance ticket and $5 per student toward travel costs. School applications are assessed according to socioeconomic disadvantage, schools with special needs and individual responses regarding the School Profile and School Community.
The Sydney Opera House thanks and acknowledges our generous Arts Assist donors; The Greatorex Foundation and Sydney Opera House Ladies’ Committee.
Other information
Venue information
The Centre for Creativity will adhere to a maximum capacity of 1 person per two square metres, in line with the current NSW Public Health Order.
Our 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. 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.
Frequently asked questions
We recommend your group arrives early at the venue, at least 45 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.
Please call Front of House on 02 9250 7134 to notify us if your group is running late.
The closest location to disembark from buses and coaches is on Macquarie Street. 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. There is no bus parking onsite at Sydney Opera House.
Circular Quay is the closest station for public transport via train, bus and ferry. We recommend allowing 15 minutes to walk from Circular Quay for school groups. To view timetable information and ensure your public transport needs can be met, please contact Transport NSW. Please check the Transport NSW website for the latest advice and information on COVID-19 safety measures for public transport.
The safety and security of everyone visiting our site is paramount. We require all items larger than the dimensions of an A4 piece of paper to be cloaked. As our cloakrooms have limited space, we request that where possible teachers and students do not bring large bags/backpacks with them to the performance.
Yes. Please visit our Policies page for more information.
If your students are bringing a packed lunch, Royal Botanic Gardens adjacent to the Opera House is quite pleasant in fine weather. Alternatively, our restaurants offer everything from casual snacks to kid friendly meals.
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. If your group can no longer attend because your school is located in a hotspot, or has had a positive case of COVID-19 symptoms, the Opera House has introduced flexible ticketing options to help you.
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
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.
Covid-safe information
The health and wellbeing of everyone attending the Opera House is our top priority. We’re committed to making your experience safe, comfortable and enjoyable, with a number of measures in place including regular cleaning of high-touch areas, air conditioning systems that maximise ventilation, and hand sanitiser stations positioned in all paths of travel. We encourage you to wear a mask in indoor settings or when physical distancing can’t be maintained, and please stay home if you feel unwell. If you need to discuss your ticketing or booking options, contact our Box Office team on 02 9250 7777.
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.
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.
The Sydney Opera House no longer requires patrons to show that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Face masks are strongly recommended for all patrons while inside our theatres and foyers, including during the performance. Please bring your own mask.
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.
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