“Inside the Sydney Opera House” will screen on the national broadcaster from Sunday, Oct. 23.
The three-part series was filmed over the past year during one of the iconic institution’s most challenging periods. It will tell the story of how the Opera House re-emerged from the lockdowns and how the team handled the reopening of the Concert Hall after its multimillion-dollar renovation which saw it closed for two-and-a-half years.
The program comes ahead of the Opera House’s 50th anniversary in 2023, when it will stage celebrations for New Year’s Eve, Australia Day and Vivid Live, as well as hosting ballets, operas, First Nations dances, music and children’s shows.
“Inside the Sydney Opera House” was the beneficiary of primary production investment from Screen Australia and Screen NSW, and is a Barking Mad Productions and Fremantle production for the ABC.
The ABC said each 60-minute episode will shine a spotlight on the people beneath the sails and tell the story of what it takes to bring the building to life.
“For the first time in its history, the Sydney Opera House has welcomed cameras behind-the-scenes to reveal what it takes to run one of the world’s busiest performing arts centres,”the ABC said of the program.
“Throughout the series, we meet CEO Louise Herron AM and the many colourful characters who go to extraordinary lengths to stage thousands of shows and experiences for the millions of audiences and visitors who come to the Opera House each year.
“From theatre directors, organ tuners, ballerinas, musicians, dancers and opera singers, to stage and prop designers, ushers, production crews and building maintenance experts, viewers will be given front row seats as the staff battle daily deadlines and go above and beyond to make the magic happen.”
The series will be executive produced by Steve Bibb, while Ronan Sharkey is series producer.
Marta Düsseldorp narrates the series.
The show kicks off at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 23 on ABC TV and ABC iView.