Talk about a big break. A 22-year-old newcomer has landed the title role in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera to be staged on Sydney Harbour.
Jake Lyle will don the mask when Opera Australia reprises its dazzling Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour (HOSH) production in 2026.
Left to right: Jarrod Draper, Amy Manford and Jake Lyle. Photo © Daniel Boud
Born in Gladstone, Lyle is still studying Classical Voice at the Queensland Conservatorium and is currently an Emerging Artist in Residence at Queensland Symphony Orchestra. In 2024, he was a finalist in the IFAC Handa Australian Singing Competition.
He sent in an audition tape, hoping to be considered for the ensemble. The next thing he knew, he was being flown to Sydney to audition for the role of The Phantom.
“Everyone loves to say they’ve ‘discovered’ someone, but during the auditions for the ensemble, a young singer named Jake Lyle caught our attention,” says Music Supervisor Guy Simpson. “The next few days became a rollercoaster for Jake as we directed him through most of The Phantom’s material, all the while confident we had found our man.”
Amy Manford will play The Phantom’s protégé Christine Daaé – a role she has previously played to great acclaim in the 2022 Australian theatre tour and in London’s West End.
A classically trained soprano, Manford has a Masters degree from the Royal College of Music in London and a Bachelor of Music from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA). She has toured globally with classical crossover artist Andrea Bocelli and has co-produced live concerts with Disney through her company MM Creative Productions.
Jarrod Draper will play Raoul. A proud Wiradjuri man, he studied Music Theatre at WAAPA and has appeared in musicals including Rent and Moulin Rouge! The Musical. Most recently, he played Munkustrap in the 40th Australian Anniversary production of Cats and Artie Green in Sunset Boulevard for Opera Australia/GBW Entertainment.
Directed by Simon Phillips, with stunning set and costume design by Gabriela Tylesova and lighting by Nick Schlieper, the HOSH production of The Phantom of the Opera premiered in 2022, winning a four-and-a-half-star review from Limelight.
It was the first outdoor production of the musical since its original staging. The show celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2026.
In October, OA announced that for the first time in the history of HOSH, it was adding an extra week to its annual four-week season due to the demand for tickets.
Opera Australia will present Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour – The Phantom of the Opera at Fleet Steps, Mrs Macquarie’s Point, 27 March – 3 May. More information here.
