The Dream / Marguerite and Armand
10 – 25 November 2023
In the Joan Sutherland Theatre
Dance
A double bill from Frederick Ashton, featuring The Dream; an airy, romantic homage to A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Marguerite and Armand; a tragic love affair of pure passion.
| Date | Time |
| Friday 10 November | 7.30pm |
| Saturday 11 November | 1.30pm, 7.30pm |
| Monday 13 November Post performance Q&A session | 6.30pm |
| Tuesday 14 November | 7.30pm |
| Wednesday 15 November | 1.30pm, 7.30pm |
| Thursday 16 November | 7.30pm |
| Friday 17 November | 7.30pm |
| Saturday 18 November | 1.30pm, 7.30pm |
| Monday 20 November | 7.30pm |
| Tuesday 21 November | 7.30pm |
| Wednesday 22 November | 1.30pm, 7.30pm |
| Thursday 23 November | 7.30pm |
| Friday 24 November | 7.30pm |
| Saturday 25 November | 1.30pm, 7.30pm |
Ticket | Price | Description |
|---|---|---|
Standard | $61 - $343 | Adults 18 years and over |
Australian Pensioner | $49 - $275 | Australian Pension Card holders* |
Australian Student | $49 - $275 | Australian Full-time Student Card holders* |
Under 30 years | $49 - $275 | Under 30 at time of performance* |
Child | $38 - $192 | Under 18 at time of performance* |
*Must provide valid ID
$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.
The only authorised ticket agency for this event is Sydney Opera House and The Australian Ballet. For more information about Authorised Agencies, see the frequently asked questions below.
Sydney Opera House Insiders pre-sale
Monday 28 November 2022
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General Public tickets on-sale
10am, Tuesday 29 November 2022
In English
Wheelchair accessible
Audio loop available
No language barrier
Find out more about accessibility at Sydney Opera House
Run time
Approximately 120 minutes, including a 20 minute interval
Event duration is a guide only and may be subject to change.
Age
Suitable for all ages. Young people under the age of 15 must be accompanied at all times. Children aged 0 - 23 months at the time of a performance may be seated on a parent’s lap free of charge. All children occupying a seat or aged two years and older must hold a valid ticket.
The Opera House is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children that visit or engage with us. Read our Child Safety Policy.
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A double bill by Frederick Ashton
Marguerite and Armand
Part one of this Frederick Ashton double bill is Marguerite and Armand. Created for, and made famous by, the legendary partnership of Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev in 1963, Marguerite and Armand brings the passion of a tragic affair between the doomed courtesan Marguerite and her lover Armand, framed through a series of flashbacks. Frederick Ashton created these roles from the passion that Fonteyn and Nureyev embodied when dancing together. In an Australian premiere, this work will equally serve as a vehicle for the artists of this company. Franz Liszt’s music pulses through each scene, including his famous Piano Sonata in B minor, enhancing the emotional intensity of this unforgettable ballet.
The Dream
The Dream is an airy, romantic work created to celebrate the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s birth, and a homage to his play A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Set in an enchanted wood, Ashton’s ballet captures the play's themes of love and magic, exploring a poetic space of imagination away from the ‘everyday world.’ Set to Mendelssohn’s tender score, The Dream features vivid characters and a storyline transporting audiences to a realm where the human meets the supernatural.
Presented by The Australian Ballet, with Opera Australia Orchestra
David Hallberg, Artistic Director of The Australian BalletAshton played an integral role in shaping the repertoire of The Australian Ballet, so it seems appropriate to welcome Marguerite and Armand to the repertoire. Made famous by Fonteyn and Nureyev, this ballet will showcase the depth of the title roles through the dancers of this company.
Production credits
Marguerite and Armand
Choreography
Frederick Ashton
Music
Franz Liszt orchestrated by Dudley Simpson
Costume and set design
Sir Cecil Beaton
Lighting design
John B Read
The Dream
Choreography
Frederick Ashton
Music
Felix Mendelssohn arranged by John Lanchbery
Costume and set design
David Walker
Lighting design
John B Read
Choreography
Frederick Ashton
Gallery
Gallery
Season 2023
The Australian Ballet
Season 2023 marks 60 years of The Australian Ballet. Six decades of ambition, imagination and excellence that have shaped the company's identity, establishing their place as a jewel in this nation's artistic landscape.
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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