The Longest Nights

Against a glowing turquoise backdrop, two silhouetted performers face each other, one kneeling and reaching out while the other leans forward in a gesture of connection.
  • Kids & Families
  • Musical Theatre
  • Australian premiere
  • Wild Things
  • Studio
  • Run time: 85 minutes, no interval Subject to change

A white rhinoceros and a penguin find an unlikely friendship during one very long night

South Korea

One night. Two unlikely friends. Based on the award-winning Korean children’s book by LULY, The Longest Nights is a heartwarming bilingual pansori adventure following the last white rhinoceros, and a young orphaned penguin on an epic journey to find the sea.

Pansori is a Korean storytelling tradition where one performer uses songs, voices and expressive gestures to tell an exciting story. Accompanied by a drummer, they can create an entire world using only music, words and imagination. 

Commissioned by the Sydney Opera House, The Longest Nights is playful, funny, tender and deeply moving. Young audiences will be enchanted by the magic of hearing Korean and English side by side, with English subtitles helping bring every moment to life.

For a deeper experience, on Thursday 1 October, after the 6:30pm show, join the Korean and Australian cast and creatives for a discussion about The Longest Nights. Young audiences can ask the artists questions and hear about the inspiration behind the show.

The Longest Nights is supported by the Arts Council Korea.

Presented by the Sydney Opera House and IPKOASON

Event details

A story about both your family and the family you make, capturing a sense of childlike wonder. Beautiful!

Audience member, 17

About the cast and creatives

Headshot of Sangsook Ri

Headshot of Hyangha Lee 

A woman wearing a black buttoned shirt smiles. She is standing in front of a dusty brown background.

A short-haired man with a moustache smiles wearing a black suit and tie with a white shirt.

Jo Turner

A blonde woman is seen from the shoulders up. She is wearing a pink shirt on top of a white t-shirt. Her hair is short with a fringe.

A man is seated against a brick wall that is painted white. He is wearing a black short-sleeve shirt and has black hair.

About IPKOASON

IPKOASON is a collaborative Pansori ensemble of singers and drummers from Korea. Their name combines the Korean words for a singer's mouth ("ip") and a drummer's hand ("son"), reflecting the essential partnership at the heart of Pansori. Bringing together artists from a wide range of productions and creative backgrounds, the group explores bold and boundary-crossing approaches to contemporary Pansori. Through ongoing experimentation and collaboration, IPKOASON seeks to reimagine traditional art forms while preserving the depth and spirit of classical storytelling. Their work continually develops new creative processes, original Pansori productions, and performances that highlight each artist's unique musical voice and thematic vision.

This is one of the most exciting productions we have ever collaborated on, bringing together Korean and Australian artists to explore whether we could create a performance that speaks to different ages and languages.

Why the Wild Things Festival Curator loves this show

Cast and credits

Cast

Sorikkun Seunghee Lee
Actor Sanghong Lee, Jo Turner, Holly Austin
Gosu Hyangha Lee
Musician Yujun Lee 

Creative Team

Original work LULY (The Longest Nights, published by Munhakdongne)
Adapter and director Sangsook Ri
Dramaturg, Script translator and interpreter Kyunghoo Lee 
Music director and composer Hyangha Lee
Song composer Seunghee Lee
Movement director Neongcool Park
Set designer Seungjun Jeong
Light designer Yujin Lee
Sound designer Taesoon Jang
Costume designer Eunkyung Lee
Stage manager Kyusoo Lim
Producer and tour manager Soyoung Son

Attending this event

More for wild adventurers (ages 7-10)

ZOOOM

26 – 29 Sep 2026

  • Kids & Families
  • Theatre
  • Wild Things
A lady stands staring at a glow in the dark figure projected on the wall smiling at her.

Tinker Tales!

3 – 5 Oct 2026

  • Kids & Families
  • Dance
  • Theatre
  • Australian premiere
  • Wild Things
A man leaps off a washing machine with his arms out wide.

Puzzle

26 Sep – 1 Oct 2026

  • Kids & Families
  • Experiences
  • Australian premiere
  • Free
  • Wild Things
Five shirtless circus performers in an outdoor plaza balance and move red and white cube frames as one performer flips through the air above them, while a crowd watches in the background.

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

Studio

The Studio is located in the north-western corner of Sydney Opera House, best accessed through the Western Foyers.

  • Checking availability