2026 Opera Australia continue celebrating 70 years of arts and entertainment with Phantom of the Opera on Sydney Harbour. In perfect timing, The Phantom itself is celebrating 40 years this year as well. Revived from the 2022 original of this outdoor Handa production, the 3000 strong audience completely filled out the seating on opening night and, looking at the ticketing, there are already more sold out nights in advance.
The Production
Presented on a stage approximately two and a half times the regular theatre size, the entire construction floats on the water of Sydney Harbour, facing Fleet Steps at Mrs Macquarie’s Point. Set and Costume Designer Gabriela Tylesova has artfully used the unique west facing backdrop of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House and surrounding CBD high rises. The audience can take their seats looking through, underneath, the extraordinary, sweeping staircase to watch the sun setting. The afternoon of Opening night featured gale force winds and scattered thunderstorms which would surely have given cast, crew, orchestra and audience the willies. The Bureau of Meteorology website said this was “15 degrees, feels like 6.” However, the weather calmed down, as if guided by a divine hand, and offered a stunning surprise sunset of gold, pink and orange. The southerly wind could be seen tussling costumes on stage but the audience were mostly protected by large trees from the Botanic Gardens.
There’s also a full scale construction crane on hand to manoeuvre the famous chandelier and other props. The stage is heavily raked (tilted towards the audience) so the lower rows at the front can still see all. The stage surface is covered with heavy rubber. Only one slip was noticed and one really hopes the ballet girls can forfeit their point shoes on rainy nights to avoid injury. The costumes are designed for all weather and it is recommended that the audience prepare for all weather changes as well. Rug up!
Director Simon Phillips (Assisted by Matt Hayward) has made a masterly job of communicating complex relationships whilst drawing focus from the macro to the micro. From the very beginning, two of the female principals appear on stage dressed as part of the chorus but, when they are pointed out as part of the script, they appear clear as day. Sometimes you are looking at the full extent of the set, out to the limits of your peripheral vision, other times you are zoomed in on an intimate conversation between 2 or 3 characters. Phillips made easy work for the audience to keep up with all that is going on, removing much of the busy-ness we might normally see on a theatre stage which might cause distraction.
A young and very fit cast is required for this production. The magnitude and slope of the stage requires triple the energy as performers constantly run in groups around the stage, climbing stairs up and down to reach the stage from below and then up another 3 storeys. Prepared to face the Autumn weather 5 nights a week for the next 2 months, no matter what Mother Nature provides, requires discipline and will power to match their extreme fitness.
Choreographer and Associate Director Simone Saul very thoughtfully worked around the staging challenges so there was still plenty to appreciate whilst keeping the performers upright.
Lighting design by Nick Schlieper (Associate Phoèbe Pilcher) is superb with racks of powerful lights surrounding the stage. They beautifully express the dark Gothic themes of the storyline and quickly draw audience attention to where they need to follow the action.
Sound Designer Shelly Lee (Associate Anthony Craythorn) created a mysterious, immersive surround sound, where spoken words from “OG” (opera ghost) could be heard over here, then over there, as if he was moving amongst the audience. Very clever. There were quite a few times when the orchestra was much louder than the singers. No doubt this is a small wrinkle that will be easily ironed out.
The orchestra was lead by Musical Supervisor Guy Simpson (Assisted by Kevin Wang), a veritable expert with 36 years experience working on the Phantom in multiple countries (along with much other work too). His interpretation and leadership were impeccable. It was great to see him and the orchestra appear at the closing to receive their applause in the flesh.
Principal Artists
In the titular role of The Phantom is Jake Lyle, a Queenslander who studied at Queensland Conservatorium and Griffith University. With a long line of awards over the past 4 years and just a few theatre roles under his belt, you will see immediately why he has been given such a great opportunity. His voice is rich and clear with enormous potential for a fulfilling career as a leading man. The acting was a little melodramatic to start with but improved as the evening played on. The season is long so, there is plenty of time to settle into the role and develop the character. Full kudos is given for outstanding work in a debut role with Opera Australia.
Leading lady Amy Manford returns as Christine Daaé after performing in the 2022 Sydney Harbour season as well as on the West End. She is tall and graceful, managing the vocal work well. The role is a huge burden to carry. Christine seems to appear more often than any other character and the vocal demands, over a performance period of 2 and a half hours in exposed temperatures, are extreme. Manford paced herself well and her knowledge of the character shines clearly, giving us deeper meaning into her words and actions.
In the romantic role of Raoul is tenor Jarrod Draper, providing great inspiration for Australian indigenous performers. His acting and vocals were superb, providing clarity and his own unique interpretation. He was a great favourite with the audience.
Brent Hill and Martin Crewes played Monsieurs Firmin and André respectively. Their long careers in showbiz no doubt helped to create a strong, comic partnership and to articulate clearly to the enormous audience. They were a lot of fun.
Debora Krizak played the critical role of Madame Giry with aplomb. Opera Australia’s Giuseppina Grech did a great job of the Drama Queen Diva, Carlotta. It’s an over the top cartoon character and Grech was clearly enjoying herself. Her onstage partner Ubaldo Piangi was beautifully played by Daniel Belle known for his work as Valjean in Les Mis. It’s always a funny introduction to this character when he, the Italian singer, is being told by his Director “It’s not Roma, it’s Rome.” In the role of Meg was Jayme Jo Massoud, an awesome opportunity to step into principal roles – she played it very naturally and was the perfect support for Manford.
Summing up
This production is an absolute knock out. If you want to see the biggest budget event from Opera Australia for the year, this is it. People will be talking about it for years to come and it’s not something you will want to have to admit that you missed. You’ve got to be there.
The ensemble are tight and energetic. You have the strength of Opera Australia singers doubled with superb dancers. The orchestra and sound are the highest quality. The sets and lighting cannot be beaten. Special effects include strobes, pyrotechnics, fire, projections, fireworks and illusions. Let’s hope they get many a starry night with calm waters and light breezes.
Five stars. Highly recommended.
More detail
You can access the performance space on Fleet Steps by walking down Art Gallery Road past the Art Gallery of NSW and the Domain which is close to St James train station. There is a free shuttle bus which collects from The Domain Car Park on Sir John Young Crescent. If you head to Fleet Steps early, you can walk from the front of Sydney Opera House through the Botanic Gardens which close at 6pm in April and 5.30pm in May. There were lines of taxis arriving as well as the Shuttle buses after the performance if you are not in the mood to walk.
There are several outlets for food and hot and cold drinks at Fleet Steps. Anything from sandwiches and coffee to a full bar and restaurant dishes. There is not really any room around your seats to take a picnic so you might consider eating before hand if the restaurants do not appeal.
Women’s toilets were over run throughout the interval. Quite a few women used the men’s cubicles as there was no queue at all. Souvenir programs are available and you might like to take your photos before the show, down by the water, before it gets dark. Be prepared for a magical evening.
Book your 2026 seats and read more about it here: https://opera.org.au/productions/the-phantom-of-the-opera-on-sydney-harbour/
