Available for tickets in A, B, C, and D-Reserves!
Tickets available at $80.80 + $7.20 transaction fee. Excludes Saturday matinee. Additional tickets available at $80.80. Discount applied automatically at checkout.
“High above the city, on a tall column, stood the statue of the Happy Prince...”
The Australian Ballet returns to bring Oscar Wilde’s vivid imagination to life on stage in this bright and colourful retelling of his lyrical story.
A prince who has lived a carefree life behind his palace walls becomes a magnificent golden statue. From his new vantage point he can see his subjects for the first time, and realises that his city is full of poverty and sadness. Awoken to compassion, he begs his friend the Swallow to take the gold and precious jewels from his statue, fly down into the city and give them to the poor. After a series of colourful adventures, the selfless Prince and the loyal Swallow end up with nothing, but eventually find bliss.
In 2020 Graeme Murphy, who created The Australian Ballet’s acclaimed modern interpretations of Swan Lake and The Nutcracker, turns his flair for transformative storytelling to Wilde’s moving tale.
Murphy’s distinctive choreographic style will animate the golden Prince, his sassy friend the Swallow and the seductive Reed – and will bring a particularly Aussie flavour to Wilde’s happy ending.
This all-Australian premiere will feature a specially commissioned score from the renowned composer Christopher Gordon, who wrote the scores for the films Mao’s Last Dancer and Master and Commander, alongside the work of award-winning artist and director Kim Carpenter, who adapted the story and created the vibrant design for the ballet.
Ablaze with colourful costumes and extravagant sets, The Happy Prince will capture children’s imagination with its vivid spectacle and adults’ attention with its timely message: a kind heart shines brighter than gold.
“Australia’s most brilliant choreographer ... we’ve always basked in the light he casts.” The Daily Telegraph
“Murphy constantly surprises, not just choreographically but also in the way he manipulates classic stories.” The Sydney Morning Herald
Production Credits
Based on the story by Oscar Wilde
Adapted by Kim Carpenter and Graeme Murphy
Choreography Graeme Murphy
Creative Associate Janet Vernon
Composer Christopher Gordon
Set and costume design Kim Carpenter
Lighting design Damien Cooper
Projection design Fabian Astore
The Happy Prince is generously supported by The Robert and Elizabeth Albert Music Fund, The Dame Margaret Scott Fund for Choreographers and the Barry Kay Memorial Scholarship.
We thank Kim Carpenter’s Theatre of Image for supporting the creation of The Happy Prince.
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AGE RECOMMENDATION:
Recommended for those aged 6 years and older.
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Connecting safely at QPAC
QPAC is currently operating at 100% capacityi under a COVID Safe Plan approved by Queensland Health. As social distancing is not always possible in our theatres and foyers, masks remain mandatory for all patrons until otherwise advised. Please bring your own mask with you to the theatre. For contact tracing purposes we are using the Check In Qld app and encourage all patrons to download the app and fill out their details prior to attending performances at QPAC. Find out more.
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QTIX is the official ticketing service for QPAC and The Australian Ballet – The Happy Prince. Selected packages are sold through authorised resellers only. Any tickets purchased through unauthorised sales channels may be seized or cancelled without refund or exchange and the bearer of the ticket may be denied admission. Unauthorised sales channels include Viagogo, eBay and Gumtree. Read more about purchasing tickets online.
Presented by The Australian Ballet in association with QPAC
Gallery
^Senior: Government-issued Seniors card holders
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^^^Youth: Individuals aged 30 years and under with acceptable proof of age
^^^^Child: Children aged 18 years and under with acceptable proof of age
^^^^^Price listed is per person and all four tickets must be purchased in the same transaction
A transaction fee of $7.20 applies per transaction. Selected ticket delivery methods may incur an additional charge. The minimum price listed may be available for selected performances only. Please see the event calendar when booking for the available date(s) and time(s) of this performance.
EXTEND YOUR EXPERIENCE
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BEHIND THE SCENES
Wednesday, 26 February 2020, 11:30am
Get a privileged, in-theatre view of their training, with commentary by artistic staff, then sit in as their top dancers rehearse.
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MCALLISTER IN CONVERSATION
Saturday, 29 February 2020, 5pm
Don’t miss this intimate talk, hosted by Artistic Director David McAllister, as he interviews key creatives and principal artists.
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MUSIC OF THE DANCE
Friday, 28 February 2020, 6pm
Free Event
Like the dancers on stage, musicians and conductors are powerful storytellers. Music Director and Chief Conductor Nicolette Fraillon chats about our composers and their works; giving you greater insight into the powerful works of art.
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