A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings Inspired by the story by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Term 3
Primary - High School: Stage 3 – 6, Years 5 – 12
Learning areas: Creative Arts, English and Drama
A magic-realist gem of theatre and storytelling from Ireland, using a combination of music, puppetry and live video projection.
| Term | Date | Time |
| Term 3 | Wednesday 13 August 2025 | 10am, 12:30pm |
| Term 3 | Thursday 14 August 2025 | 10am, 12:30pm |
| Term 3 | Friday 15 August 2025 | 10am, 12:30pm |
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Standard | $25 |
One complimentary teacher per class. Ratio required for supervision is one teacher per 15 students.
The only authorised ticket agency for this event is the Sydney Opera House. For more information about authorised agencies, see the frequently asked questions below.
Arts Assist: The Arts Assist ticket and travel subsidy program provides the full cost of the Creative Learning performance ticket and $5 per student toward travel costs. Find out more about Arts Assist.
We cater to students of all needs and will make every effort to accommodate any special requirements or access adjustments your students may have. All of our venues are wheelchair accessible with dedicated wheelchair positions and companion seats. Please let us know on the booking form how we can assist in making your excursion as enjoyable as possible and we will be in touch. Alternatively, you may call Creative Learning on +61 2 9250 7770 (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm AEST) or email creativelearning@sydneyoperahouse.com.
Find out more about accessibility at Sydney Opera House.
This performance will be held in the Studio.
Run time: The duration of this event is 60 minutes which includes a 45 minute performance and a 15 minute question and answer session with the artists on stage. Event duration is a guide only and may be subject to change.
The Opera House is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children that visit or engage with us. Download our Child Safety Policy (PDF).
The Arts ReviewFifty minutes of near theatrical perfection.
Useful information:
A rich exploration of human nature
For students who love exquisite, beautifully crafted theatre, a magical realist gem inspired by legendary novelist Gabriel García Márquez’s darkly comic fairy tale, Un señor muy viejo con unas alas enormes.
In a kitchen, in a theatre, two storytellers and their audience discover something remarkable – a very old man with enormous wings – and invite us to speculate who he is. A neighbour believes he’s an angel, a priest claims he’s an imposter. Pilgrims flock to see him, hoping to be healed by him. They leave with something different than what they expected.
Winner of Best Design at the Dublin Fringe (2019), talented theatre maker Dan Colley has created a perfect show for students gorgeously formed around music, puppetry and live video, but also thoughtful and emotionally rich in its exploration of human nature.
Sydney Opera House presents a Dan Colley and Riverbank Arts Centre production of A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings
13 - 15 August 2025
Theatre Set Design and Stagecraft Workshop
Deepen student’s engagement with the performance of A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings with a 90 minute making workshop. Students learn how to create dynamic spaces for live performance and theatre to build spaces of imagination for an audience.
Meet the artists
Dan Colley
Director
Dan Colley is an independent theatre and film maker with a focus on ensemble-devised work and adaptations. He trained as a facilitator with Youth Theatre Ireland.
His shows Lost Lear (premiered at DTF 2022) and A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings (premiered at Dublin Fringe 2019) continue to tour internationally including to New York, the Hague, Stockholm, Wellington, Auckland and all over the UK and Canada. His film The Painted Man produced by Samson Films was in the official selection of Galway Film Fleadh and was nominated for 'Best Arthouse Short' in the Fastnet Film Festival.
As Artistic Director of Collapsing Horse (2013-19) he directed nine original productions, created a series of ten radio plays, and an exhibition in the National Museum.
Dan was Co-Artistic Director of the Kilkenny Cat Laughs comedy festival from 2017-19.
Dan was the Creative Director of Danse Macabre, a large-scale processional street theatre piece for Macnas. Dan directed and co-created TWENTY FIFTY with Fionnuala Gygax, an online interactive theatre piece part of DUETS in Dublin Fringe 2020.
Dan was awarded the Arts Council’s Next Generation Bursary Award in 2016. He is Theatre Artist in Residence in the Riverbank Arts Centre and on the board of the Dublin Fringe Festival.
Plan your visit
Venue information
Please ensure that your group arrives at the venue 30 minutes prior to the performance start time. Latecomers may only be admitted to a performance during a suitable break, and in some cases, may be excluded. Please call the Creative Learning team on 02 9250 7770 to notify us if you are running late.
Your safety and security is paramount to us during your visit to the Opera House. Therefore, all items larger than the dimensions of a standard A4 piece of paper must be checked in to the cloakroom. As they have limited space, we ask that teachers and students do not bring large bags/backpacks to the performance. Some bag trolleys may be available for your school in the Western Foyers. Please ensure that any prohibited items are left at home (e.g. scissors).
Students are encouraged to bring their own lunch and snacks, however you’ll find food and drinks outlets on the lower level of the concourse.
Please note food and drink are permitted inside the foyers, but only bottled water in the venues.
We recommend that students take their meal breaks on the Monumental Steps/Forecourt or in the Botanic Gardens immediately adjacent the SOH precinct. In inclement weather, there is ample room to take breaks underneath the Monumental Steps. In situations of particularly poor weather, breaks can be had in the Western Foyer. We ask that you please limit this to an as needed basis to avoid foyer congestion for other members of the General Public. There are several food and beverage options on site, as well as food and beverage options close by in Circular Quay.
Getting here
We are a 15-minute walk from Circular Quay, the closest station for public transport via train, bus and ferry. To view timetable information and ensure your public transport needs can be met, please check the Transport NSW website.
Buses and coaches can’t park onsite at Sydney Opera House. Large buses must disembark passengers on Macquarie Street in the allocated drop off zone. Please contact City of Sydney to confirm bus and coach set down areas. We recommend allowing an additional 10 minutes for walking from Macquarie Street.
Frequently asked questions
Please ensure that your group arrives at the venue 30 minutes prior to the performance start time.
If you are late, we will seat you as soon as possible, but please be aware that some events have lock out periods where late comers cannot be admitted until a suitable break in the performance. Occasionally this is not until the interval, and in some instances late comers won’t be admitted at all.
Yes, use this information to prepare a risk assessment and risk management plan. Teachers undertaking a risk assessment and risk management plan should be aware that Sydney Opera House cannot complete the risk assessment for them.
Food and drink are permitted inside the foyers, but not in the venues.
Please contact our Creative Learning Ticketing Specialists on 02 9250 7770 as soon as possible to advise if your group can no longer attend.
The Opera House is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children that visit or engage with us. Read our Child Safety Policy.
The Opera House has also developed a Child-friendly Code of Conduct to engage with our youngest visitors.
Excursions at the Opera House
A Day Out at the House
Offer your students to an unforgettable day out at the Sydney Opera House with our new curated program. Students can attend a Creative Learning Performance or Workshop onsite accompanied by a Walking Tour of our internationally renowned performing arts centre, all in time to back by the final school bell.
Arts Assist
Does your School need financial assistance to attend a Sydney Opera House excursion?
Schools Tour
Filled with stories that demonstrate the power of creativity, students join a guided tour to learn how architect Jørn Utzon created a sculpture on Sydney Harbour that changed the course of 20th century architecture.
