Tröll: A fable from the twitchy edges of the digital age in the April school holidays

The internationally-acclaimed Tröll by Aotearoa New Zealand theatre company Trick of the Light will excite young audiences ages 8+ these April school holidays with a clash of modern and mythic story telling in the vein of Stranger Things.

In the nostalgia-inducing story set in the Y2K era, young hero Otto takes on the ancient, malevolent tröll living in the walls of his house. Using everyday objects, light and internet culture to cleverly play with both folkloric and digital definitions of a troll, the coming-of-age tale combines storytelling, music and creative puppetry to explore issues of the tech age, mental health, and the value of real-life connection and family.

The April school holidays program also features Street Legacy IX by The Street University, a show-stopping showcase of Western Sydney’s finest young street artists, dancers and poets. In their electrifying Sydney Opera House debut, The Street University will present the biggest iteration yet of their Street Legacy series of dance, music and poetry performances, with previous events headlined by rap heavyweights B Wise and Youngn Lipz. Created by the Ted Noffs Foundation, The Street University is a longstanding local institution that has helped young people aged 10 – 25 years unlock their full potential for over 12 years.

Sydney Opera House Head of Children, Families and Creative Learning, Tamara Harrison:

Sydney Opera House is where lifelong memories are made for children and families – whether taking their first steps towards the wonder of live performance, or seeking diverse experiences that directly speak to their worlds as they navigate their teen years. Our first international work since 2020, Tröll is an inventive, exciting work that welcomes our young people to the House and speaks to them in the language of now.

For younger audiences, the award-winning Monkey Baa’s Edward the Emu for kids ages 4+ is a brand new show based on the classic Australian books by Sheena Rowles and Rod Clement; and Kids Music Café is a wonderful introduction to live music and instruments for children aged 0 – 18 months old.

For explorers big and small, the Junior Adventure Tour takes the whole family behind-the-scenes to discover how the magic of theatre, music and arts come to life. The one-hour adventure is jam-packed with interactive activities and games to inspire even the littlest imaginations. For a quintessentially Sydney day out, the Junior Day Pack includes a Junior Adventure Tour, plus lunch with a view at Opera Kitchen, and a show ticket for Edward the Emu.

The health, safety and wellbeing of everyone at the Opera House is top priority. Opera House ticketholders are encouraged to check the plan your visit page prior to their performance for the most up-to-date COVID safe measures and information.

Children, Families and Creative Learning

The Children, Families & Creative Learning program has engaged more than 350,000 people digitally and onsite in 2021 with events and experiences that playfully encourage creativity and nurture life-long learning. The public program delivers diverse performances from the best Australian and international theatre-markers for children, families and caregivers.

Creative Learning encompasses a year-round program of performing arts, creative and educational experiences for primary and secondary students, aligned to contemporary learning outcomes including communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity; the Digital Creative Learning program, with almost 30,000 students all across Australia engaging from the classroom and home-learning settings in 2021; and Creative Leadership in Learning (CLIL), an innovative, three-year program that embeds creativity into schools, with demonstrated positive impacts.

In 2022, the program continues evolving with the opening of the Centre for Creativity – a purpose built home for hands-on creative experiences, expanding the breadth of year-round participatory performances, workshops and installations to engage people of all ages. The work of the Children, Families and Creative Learning program aligns with the Opera House’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.


Season Details

Name: Troll
Venue: Studio
Date:  5 – 14 April 2022
Ages:  8+

Name: The Street University presents Street Legacy IX
Venue: Studio
Dates: 22 – 23 April 2022
Ages: 12+

Name: Edward the Emu
Venue: Playhouse
Dates: 9 – 23 April 2022
Ages: 4+

Name: Kids Music Café
Venue: Joan Sutherland Theatre Northern Foyer
Dates: 18 March, 1 April, 13 May, 3 June
Ages: 0 – 2 years

For more information click HERE

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