Olivier Award-winning musical “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” is set to make its Australasian debut in 2027, with a six-city tour across Australia and New Zealand.
Following acclaimed runs in London’s West End and New York, the production will be staged outside the two cities for the first time, kicking off in Wellington on May 14th before travelling to Christchurch, Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane through October. The Australian leg will begin at the Sydney Opera House on July 16th, where the musical will play until August 29th, before heading to Arts Centre Melbourne in September and Brisbane’s Queensland Performing Arts Centre in October.
Based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic short story, the musical relocates the tale to a small fishing village on Cornwall’s north coast, following a man who is born old and grows younger each day. Written by Jethro Compton and New Zealand-born Darren Clark, the production features a company of 15 actor-musicians performing across 30 instruments, bringing the story to life through an original score.
The musical enjoyed a successful West End run, taking home three Olivier Awards in 2025, including Best New Musical and Outstanding Musical Contribution for Clark’s work on music supervision, orchestrations and arrangements. A new production is currently playing to sold-out audiences at New York’s Public Theater.
Compton, who also served as director and designer of the original West End production, said he can’t wait to bring the musical Down Under: “The show has had such an incredible journey so far, and we’re excited to bring it to Australian shores.”
Tickets for the Sydney Opera House season will go on sale to the general public at 9am on Friday, October 23rd, following presales beginning Tuesday, October 13th. Waitlists are currently open for the remaining cities. See here for details.
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‘THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON’ AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND 2027
Friday, May 14th–Saturday, May 22nd
St James Theatre, Wellington NZ
Thursday, May 27th–Sunday, June 6th
Isaac Theatre Royal, Christchurch NZ
Friday, June 11th–Sunday, June 27th
ASB Waterfront Theatre, Auckland NZ
Friday, July 16th–Sunday, August 29th
Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House, Sydney NSW
Friday, September 3rd–Saturday, October 2nd
Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne, Melbourne VIC
Thursday, October 7th–Sunday, October 31st
Playhouse, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Brisbane QLD