Theatre Royal Sydney is thrilled to be opening its doors to the public after a complete refurbishment that has transformed this iconic 1200 seat historical Australian theatre. The architectural masterpiece and centrepiece of theatre in Sydney’s CBD will be re-opening its doors this Thursday December 2 with Broadway hit musical, Jagged Little Pill, bringing performance and creativity once again to the heart of Sydney whilst expanding international tour possibilities within Australia.

Pictured at the official ribbon cutting event today were Sir Howard Panter (CEO of Trafalgar Entertainment), Tim McFarlane (Executive Chairman of Trafalgar Entertainment Asia Pacific), Natalie Bassingthwaighte and Emily Nkomo (starring in Jagged Little Pill AU), and Don Harwin (Minister for the Arts). The event was a huge success with wall to wall media coverage from the likes of Channel 10, Channel 9, Channel 7, Sky News, and ABC News.

Delivering on the ‘Sydney gets it first’ promise to bring the very best of international theatre to this exciting new venue, two of the most exciting current new Broadway musicals will be kicking off the programming. Grammy and Tony Award winning Broadway musical Jagged Little Pill will be the first production to hit the stage December 2nd to 19th followed in January by one of the most critically acclaimed multi award-winning productions of the 21st Century, Girl from the North Country. Four-time Tony Award winning Broadway musical An American in Paris will follow in April 2022, just a taste of what is to come for audiences.

One of Australia’s oldest theatrical institutions, originating in 1832, the current Theatre Royal Sydney was built in 1976, designed by acclaimed architect Harry Seidler, offering a broad range of entertainment including dramas, comedy and musicals. Many leading Australian and international performers have graced the Theatre Royal Sydney stage. In 1980, Mel Gibson and Noni Hazlehurst took to the stage in “No Names…No Pack Drill”. The rich performance history also includes an interval bomb scare at the Australian Premiere of CATS in 1985, with audience members including Prime Minister Bob Hawke, Treasurer Paul Keating, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cameron Mackintosh and a three year season of Phantom of the Opera from 1993 seen by over one million people, the longest running musicals ever staged at Theatre Royal Sydney.

Sir Howard Panter, Joint CEO of Trafalgar Entertainment, said: “When we set our eyes on Theatre Royal Sydney, a true Australian theatrical icon, we were committed to restoring it back to all its glory, and to sit once again in the heart of Sydney’s CBD – where the city meets the stage. Sydney has always been a landmark destination globally, and now it has back in place a landmark to visit and see the best of world class theatre. Opening this venue with the first international production outside Broadway, Alanis Morrissette’s Jagged Little Pill, we begin with our long-term commitment to Sydney Getting It First.”

An important cultural asset for Sydney and New South Wales, Theatre Royal Sydney closed its doors in March 2016 ahead of the redevelopment of the MLC Centre. In the heart of Sydney’s Central Business District, Theatre Royal Sydney is located within 25 Martin Place, an icon of the Sydney skyline for over 40 years and a centrepiece of Sydney, where visitors embrace fashion, dining, business and culture. An important step forward for Sydney’s arts and cultural sector, Theatre Royal Sydney re-opening increases Sydney’s capacity to host new productions and compete on the world-stage for more first-run international tours, ensuring high-quality productions in Sydney’s city centre well into the future. It will also contribute to the vibrancy of Sydney’s 24-hour economy and deliver significant economic benefits to NSW through employment, tourism, and hospitality sector – it is estimated that internationally renowned musicals deliver around $25 million in visitor expenditure over a six-month run.

With a commitment to recruit the very best of the Australian theatre industry in management and front of house, Theatre Royal Sydney has appointed Houri Tapiki (pictured below) as General Manager.

Houri Tapiki said: “I feel truly honoured to be appointed as General Manager of Theatre Royal Sydney during this exciting time for the venue. Theatre Royal Sydney is where my passion and love for theatre and the performing arts was ignited over 20 years ago when I began my career as a ticket seller. To now lead this iconic venue as we prepare to reopen after a significant refurbishment is a real privilege. We have built a team dedicated to providing exceptional customer experiences and we look forward to welcoming audiences back to enjoy our stunning theatre.”

Houri Tapiki takes over from Jono Perry who has overseen the theatre’s refurbishment. Jono said: “It has been an absolute privilege to work with Houri, Tim, Torben and the amazing team at Theatre Royal Sydney. The Royal is a cultural icon of Sydney and playing a small part in bringing this extraordinary theatre back to life has been an honour.”

Houri Tapiki