REVIEW: THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Returns to Handa Opera On Sydney Harbour With A Revival Of Simon Phillips’ 2022 Production.
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA – Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour 2026
Friday 27th March 2026, 7:30pm, Fleet Steps, Mrs Macquarie’s Chair Sydney
As part of the 40th Anniversary Celebrations of Andrew Lloyd Webber (Music and Book)), Charles Hart (Lyrics) and Richard Stilgoe’s (Lyrics and Book) famous musical, Opera Australia has revived its production of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA for the 2026 Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour season. While BroadwayWorld Sydney’s Guest Reviewer Kym Vaitiekus reviewed the 2022 season, this was the first taste of the Harbour spectacle treatment for this reviewer and it definitely does justice to the source material.
The musical adaptation of Gaston Leroux’s novel LE FANTÔME DE L'OPÉRA has the drama of an opera work, particularly with its connection to the real Palais Garnier in the 9th arrondissement of Paris and its myths and legends, so suits selection for the Opera Australia Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour treatment. Taking the work outside onto the floating stage that is almost two and a half times larger than any Australian indoor stage, allows set and costume designer Gabriela Tylesova the space and freedom to ‘go big’ with her design while meeting the challenge of a stage that doesn’t have the traditional wings and flys are delivered by the cranes that remain visible throughout. Instead of restricting the design to the interior of the Palais Garnier as other productions do, the set represents an amalgam of various parts of the famous Opera House. A grand 30 metre staircase modelled on the rampe d’acces on the building’s west façade sweeps down from the 6-meter tower that recreates the loges de cote private boxes to the left of the real stage, including the famous Box #5 that is still left empty in the Palais Garnier. Naturally, the chandelier that Leroux took artistic licence with in regard to its role in the mysteries of the Opera House, is recreated in all its 19th century grandeur of large white globes and swathes of crystals and chains and scaled up to 4 meter diameter and 4 meter high piece to be striking against the night sky as it is raised above the stage via a crane. Across the front of the stage a channel allows the famous gondolier scene, and the expanse of performance space ensures the grandeur of the rehearsals and performances of the fictional opera Hannibal is clear. Ingénue Christine Daaé’s dressing room with a large looking glass and the gilded organ are mounted on a stage within the stage with suitable size and importance to reinforce the importance of these spaces. The rare concession to modern styling is the inflatable palm tree that falls during the rehearsal and the use of screens for the mystery beyond the mirror.
With similar attention to detail, Tylesova’s costuming captures the fashions of the age while having that extra degree of detail, extravagance, and sparkle, to ensure the pieces have the necessary impact for such a large staging where the audience seating is spread across the waterfront. With Simon Phillips’ direction, the costuming increases the ‘campness’ of the work to exaggerate the absurdity of the opera within the musical. The lighting design ensures that the audience focus is easily drawn to the different focal points, even the highest points of the “ceiling” sculpture, and mood is heightened with ominous swathes of red light in the sinister moments.
The scale of the work and Simon Phillips’ direction ensures that every part of the plot is clear and presented with the requisite significance. On a traditional stage the opera being rehearsed can feel ‘small’ and the dramatics of the resident Diva, Carlotta (Giuseppina Grech) can feel downplayed, but Phillips has this presented as over the top and camp which makes it even more powerful and amusing as a counterpoint to the dark story of love and obsession playing out with the Phantom (Jake Lyle) and Christine (Amy Manford). The ability to put the interaction between the new owners Monsieur Firmin (Brent Hill) and Monsieur Andre (Martin Crewes) on a vast space allows the comedy that Hill and Crewes bring to the roles to really shine.
As the Phantom’s muse and object of obsession, Amy Manford returns to the role of Christine Daaé, which she performed in the 2022 touring production presented at the Joan Sutherland Theatre in the Sydney Opera House and the West End production. She adapts to the larger venue with ease, ensuring that performance is still genuine while reaching the broader audience. Making his professional debut, Jake Lyle delivers a Phantom that has the requisite repressed emotion and vulnerability as the genius that has hidden in shadows because of his disfigurement. He ensures that the Phantom’s final moments are poignant and selfless as even when Christine has indicated she chooses him, he releases her. Jarrod Draper rounds out the love triangle as the dashing Vicomte de Chagny, Raoul, a patron of the theatre who realises he knew Christine as a child and pursues her though the Phantom believes he’s all fashion and no substance.
As with other Opera Australia Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour productions, this staging is event theatre and destination theatre so the performance on stage is supplemented by fireworks that punctuate the scenes with a particularly stunning visual created for Masquerade where the full cast fill the staircase. Thankfully the recent rains held off for opening night though the media notes indicate that there was supposed to be a chariot flying over the stage but it is assumed that high winds caused modifications to the performance. It is noted that these productions generally proceed in most weather conditions with the cast and crew having already rehearsed continencies for safety. The seating is all outdoors so raincoats or a poncho (for sale at the venue) and warm clothes are a must and umbrellas are not permitted during the performance.
Whether you’ve seen other productions of PHANTOM OF THE OPERA or this is your first opportunity to see it live, this is well worth it. It is an experience and the scale and spectacle of the work is awe inspiring and the performances are wonderful. Opera Australia has been staging productions on Sydney Harbour for 15 years so are adept at managing the sound design so everything is clear an Lloyd Webber’s music is not diminished at all by being in the outdoor setting. For locals and visitors to Sydney this is a wonderful opportunity to see a world class production with the unique backdrop of the Sydney CBD skyline, the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
The Phantom of the Opera – Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour 2026
Photos: Daniel Boud
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