The Tales of Hoffmann
11 - 22 July 2023
In the Joan Sutherland Theatre
Opera
An intoxicating, magical mix of emotion and dazzling music as a poet shares the story of his four great loves, featuring the famously difficult ‘Doll Song’.
| Date | Time |
| Tuesday 11 July | 7pm |
| Thursday 13 July | 7pm |
| Saturday 15 July | 7pm |
| Tuesday 18 July | 7pm |
| Thursday 20 July | 7pm |
| Saturday 22 July | 12pm |
Monday to Friday Performances
Standard | Price |
|---|---|
Concession | Price |
Children | Price |
Groups 8+ | Price |
| Premium | $345 |
| A Reserve | $293 |
| B Reserve | $239 |
| C Reserve | $176 |
| D Reserve | $99 |
| E Reserve | $81 |
| F Reserve | $49 |
| Premium | $310 |
| A Reserve | $263 |
| B Reserve | $215 |
| C Reserve | $158 |
| D Reserve | $89 |
| E Reserve | $72 |
| F Reserve | $49 |
| Premium | $310 |
| A Reserve | $146 |
| B Reserve | $119 |
| C Reserve | $88 |
| D Reserve | $49 |
| E Reserve | $49 |
| F Reserve | $49 |
| Premium | $293 |
| A Reserve | $249 |
| B Reserve | $203 |
| C Reserve | $149 |
| D Reserve | $84 |
| E Reserve | $68 |
| F Reserve | $49 |
Saturday Matinee Performances
Standard | Price |
|---|---|
Concession | Price |
Children | Price |
Groups 8+ | Price |
| Premium | $370 |
| A Reserve | $318 |
| B Reserve | $264 |
| C Reserve | $201 |
| D Reserve | $124 |
| E Reserve | $106 |
| F Reserve | $49 |
| Premium | $333 |
| A Reserve | $286 |
| B Reserve | $237 |
| C Reserve | $180 |
| D Reserve | $111 |
| E Reserve | $95 |
| F Reserve | $49 |
| Premium | $370 |
| A Reserve | $159 |
| B Reserve | $132 |
| C Reserve | $100 |
| D Reserve | $62 |
| E Reserve | $53 |
| F Reserve | $49 |
| Premium | $314 |
| A Reserve | $270 |
| B Reserve | $224 |
| C Reserve | $170 |
| D Reserve | $105 |
| E Reserve | $90 |
| F Reserve | $49 |
Saturday Evening Performances
Standard | Price |
|---|---|
| Premium | $370 |
| A Reserve | $318 |
| B Reserve | $264 |
| C Reserve | $201 |
| D Reserve | $124 |
| E Reserve | $106 |
| F Reserve | $49 |
$8.95 booking fee applies per transaction
Prices correct at the time of publication and subject to change without notice. Exact prices will be displayed with seat selection. Children aged 15 years and under must be accompanied at all times
The authorised agencies for this event are Sydney Opera House, Opera Australia, Today Tix and Ticketmaster. For more information about Authorised Agencies, see the FAQ below.
Sydney Opera House Insiders pre-sale
9am, Thursday 6 October, 2022
Become a Sydney Opera House Insider to receive exclusive pre-sale access
What’s On e-newsletter on-sale
10am, Thursday 6 October, 2022
General Public tickets on-sale
9am, Wednesday 12 October, 2022
Run time
This performance will run for approximately 3 hours and 40 minutes, including two intervals
Event duration is a guide only and may be subject to change.
Sung in French with English surtitles
Wheelchair accessible
Audio loop available
Find out more about accessibility at Sydney Opera House.
ConcertoNetPratt… (sings) all the female roles... with dramatic truth and with a vocal mastery worthy of the greatest
Four intoxicating parts. One superstar soprano
Hoffmann is tipsy and in the mood for storytelling. He’ll tell you of his four great loves: a wind-up doll, an innocent singer, a cruel courtesan… and the woman who combines them all. But who is his mysterious muse? And the evil shadow that dogs his every move?
This is The Tales of Hoffmann: Offenbach’s last and greatest work. It’s an intoxicating mix of emotion and dazzling music, including the famous, fiendishly difficult Doll Song.
Soprano Jessica Pratt returns to Australia to sing all the female leads. It’s a rare soprano who can sing these roles and bring you deep into Offenbach’s emotional world. Pratt follows in the footsteps of Joan Sutherland and a handful of other stars who can pull it off.
“Pratt… (sings) all the female roles... with dramatic truth and with a vocal mastery worthy of the greatest.” (ConcertoNet)
Iván Ayón Rivas sings the title character and Marko Mimica sings the four villains. Celebrated director Damiano Michieletto (Il Viaggio a Reims) creates a brand new production of this beloved opera. Elaborate sets depicting Hoffmann’s three worlds are designed and built by our team in Australia before travelling to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Guillaume Tourniaire conducts.
Presented by Opera Australia
Artist Information
CREATIVE TEAM
Conductor Guillaume Tourniaire
Director Damiano Michieletto
Set Designer Paolo Fantin
Costume Designer Carla Teti
Lighting Designer Alessandro Carletti
Projection Designer Vandal
Choreographer Chiara Vecchi
CAST
Hoffmann Iván Ayón Rivas
Olympia/Antonia/Guilietta/Stella Jessica Pratt
Coppelius/Dapertutto/Dr Miracle/Lindorf Marko Mimica
Nicklausse Agnes Sarkis
Antonia's Mother Jennifer Black
Spalanzani Iain Henderson
Crespel David Parkin
Nathanaël Tomas Dalton
Hermann Luke Gabbedy
Frantz/Andres/Conchenille/Pittichinaccio Adam Player
Schlémil Richard Anderson
The Muse Sian Sharp
Luther Richard Anderson
La Harpe Anthony Mackey
Opera Australia Chorus
Opera Australia Orchestra
Season 2025
Opera Australia
Some of Australia’s brightest stars are taking the stage in Opera Australia’s 2025 season. Dreams, desire and destiny collide in this season of fantasy and fairy tales, heart and humour, music and magic.
Other information
Venue information
Our foyers will be open 90 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and two hours pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Refreshments will be available for purchase from our theatre bars.
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.
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 the Wilson Parking website for details.
Please check the Transport NSW website for the latest advice and information on travel. You can catch public transport (bus, train, ferry) to Circular Quay and enjoy a six minute 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 remind our audiences and visitors to 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.
The health and wellbeing of everyone attending the Opera House is our top priority. We have a number of safety 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. While face masks are no longer required, we ask all our patrons and visitors to practise good hygiene.
The Sydney Opera House no longer requires patrons to show that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Frequently asked questions
Ticket purchases and collection at our Box Office is discouraged and eTicket or postal delivery methods should be used, wherever possible. However, if you are collecting your tickets from the Box Office, we recommend doing this at least 60 minutes before the event starts. If you have already received your tickets, the venue doors will be open 45 minutes pre-show for Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and 30 minutes pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Please take your seats as soon as you arrive.
If you are late, we will seat you as soon as we can and, where possible, in your allocated seat. However, to reduce movement in the venue as well as minimise disruption to the performance and other patrons, ticketholders may be seated in an allocated latecomer’s seat. Please be aware that some events have lock-out periods. In these cases, latecomers will be admitted at a suitable break in the performance. On occasions, this may not be until the interval, or at all where there is no interval.
Details of our right to refuse admission can be found in our General Terms and Conditions for Tickets and Events.
In accordance with our venue security procedures, Opera House security will be scanning and checking bags under the Monumental Stairs, prior to entering the building. Bags will be scanned by an x-ray machine, and staff will wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when handling your belongings, such as gloves. Cloaking facilities will be open 60 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and 60 minutes pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. However it is strongly encouraged that you travel lightly to minimise contact and queuing. Any bags larger than an A4 piece of paper will need to be checked into the Cloak Room.
The authorised agency for this event is the Sydney Opera House.
Only tickets purchased by authorised agencies should be considered reliable. If you purchase tickets from a non-authorised agency such as Ticketmaster Resale, Viagogo, Ticketbis, eBay, Gumtree, Tickets Australia or any other unauthorised seller, you risk that these tickets are fake, void or have previously been cancelled. RESALE RESTRICTION APPLIES. For more details, please refer to our General Terms and Conditions for Tickets and Attendance at Events.
Please contact Box Office on 9250 7777 as soon as possible to advise if you can no longer attend.
Foyers will be open 90 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and two hours pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Refreshments will be available for purchase from our theatre bars.
The venue doors will be open 45 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and 30 minutes pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances.
Please bring a credit or debit card for any on site purchases to enable contactless payment. You’re welcome to bring your own water bottle but no other food and drinks are permitted inside our venues. Opera Bar, Opera Kitchen and Portside are also available for you to enjoy.
The health, safety and wellbeing of everyone at the Sydney Opera House is our top priority. In line with this commitment, the Opera House became a smoke-free site in January 2022. Read our Smoke-free Environment Policy.
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