Kate Prince’s Message In A Bottle tours to Sydney Opera House as part of its 50th Birthday Festival
Sadler’s Wells has announced that the widely acclaimed dance theatre production Message In A Bottle by Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist Kate Prince, set to the music of 17-time Grammy Award-winning artist Sting, makes its Australian debut with a tour to the Sydney Opera House on 25 – 29 October for a strictly limited run in the Joan Sutherland Theatre as part of the iconic venue’s 50th Birthday Festival.
This is the first time that the show comes to Australia. Message In A Bottle is currently on a UK and international tour which next stops at The Marlowe, Canterbury 4 – 8 July, followed by The Lowry, Salford 27 – 29 July. The production returns to Sadler’s Wells’ Peacock Theatre from 4 – 14 October for a two-week West End run. After performing in Sydney, the show tours to venues in The Netherlands and Luxembourg.
Message In A Bottle continues Sadler’s Wells’ longstanding relationship with the Sydney Opera House, having previously presented productions including Russell Maliphant’s & Sylvie Guillem’s Push, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s Sutra and m¡longa, Nilda Guerra’s Havana Rakatan, Sylvie Guillem’s 6000 Miles Away and Life in Progress, Michael Keegan-Dolan’s Swan Lake/Loch na hEala and Natalia Osipova’s Pure Dance.
Message In A Bottle received its World Premiere at Sadler’s Wells’ West End venue, the Peacock Theatre, in February 2020. Highly original dance combines with breath-taking music in an uplifting story of humanity and hope. The show has since toured internationally to Europe and continues to grow its international scope to reach new audiences.
Message In A Bottle is an imagined story about one displaced family, and a universal story of loss, fear, survival, hope and love as three parted siblings step out on their own extraordinary adventures.
Songs including “Every Breath You Take”, “Roxanne”, “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” and “Fields of Gold” feature in new arrangements by Alex Lacamoire, recorded by Sting and guest artists including Olivier Award-winner Beverley Knight. The show features the astonishing talents of dance storytelling powerhouse, ZooNation: The Kate Prince Company.
In May 2024, a made-for-film adaptation of Message In A Bottle will be released in UK cinemas, in partnership with the Royal Opera House, which will also be broadcast in the US as part of the PBS Great Performances season.
Suzanne Walker, Sadler’s Wells Executive Producer said,“We’re delighted to be bringing Message In A Bottle to Australia for the first time, and to continue our longstanding relationship with such an iconic venue as part of its 50th Birthday Festival. The universal themes of the show resonate around the world, and we are thrilled that new audiences in Sydney can experience this spectacular production.”
Kate Prince, Director and Choreographer said, “I am blown away that Message In A Bottle is touring to Sydney Opera House, it is the first time that I will travel to Australia, as well as the first time that ZooNation has toured to the country, and this feels like a real milestone for the production and for us as a company. The production started as a dream of mine back in 2016 to choreograph a dance show to the iconic music of Sting, as I’ve been a fan all my life. To have been able to work with him and all the other amazing creatives, and now to be able to take Message In A Bottle to the other side of the world – It’s been quite the journey. We can’t wait to share it with you.”
Ebony Bott, Sydney Opera House Head of Contemporary Performance said, “We’re thrilled to be presenting the Australian premiere of Message In A Bottle, especially as a centrepiece production in our upcoming 50th Birthday Festival.”
Tickets begin at $89. Click here to learn more.