9 march 2025
An absolute powerhouse of Aotearoa New Zealand’s creative industry, Rachel House has been paving the way for generations of Māori women. She tells Narelda Jacobs about the importance of Māori storytelling in the current moment.
Co-curated by Narelda Jacobs
| Date | Time |
| Sunday 9 March 2025 | 10:30am |
| Ticket | Price |
| Standard | $35 |
$8.95 booking fee applies per transaction
Prices correct at the time of publication and subject to change without notice. Exact prices will be displayed with seat selection.
The only authorised ticket agency for this event is Sydney Opera House. For more information about Authorised Agencies, see the frequently asked questions below.
Sydney Opera House Insiders pre-sale
9am, Tuesday 14 January 2025
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What’s On e-newsletter pre-sale
9am, Wednesday 15 January 2025
General Public tickets on-sale
9am, Thursday 16 January 2025
Wheelchair accessible:
There are a number of wheelchair and companion seating locations in our theatres. To book accessible seating contact Box Office:
Telephone
+61 2 9250 7777
(Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm AEST)
Email bookings@sydneyoperahouse.com
Find out more about accessibility at Sydney Opera House.
Run time
This talk runs for approximately 60 minutes.
Event duration is a guide only and may be subject to change.
Age
Recommended for ages 15+.
Rachel HouseThe more we realise we have the power to tell our own stories in the way we want to tell them, the better.
Useful information:
Carving the path for Māori stories
A prolific and versatile creative, Rachel House’s credits are extensive – from pop-culture hits such as Moana and Heartbreak High to ground-breaking films including The Power of the Dog and Whale Rider. Best known for her work as a longtime collaborator of Taika Waititi, she made her feature film directorial debut with The Mountain in 2024 to great acclaim.
The common thread in everything she does – on stage, on screen, as an acting coach and in life – is that Rachel House is grounded by her culture, anchoring Indigenous knowledge in all facets of her career. Recognised for her outstanding contribution to Māori achievement, House is inspiring conversations about identity and representation across the globe, and is part of a generation sharing Māori humour with the world. A vocal advocate, her activism and storytelling go hand-in-hand.
Amid political moves in her country to curb Māori rights, Rachel House joins us to share her connections with culture, community and creativity in this wide-ranging conversation about what it means to be a Māori woman in the spotlight.
Presented by Sydney Opera House
Rachel House (she/her)
Rachel House (Kāi Tahu, Ngāti Mutunga) is one of New Zealand’s most highly regarded actors. She has had a long and celebrated career, both locally and internationally, which has traversed stage, television and film. Rachel has recently appeared in Our Flag Means Death 2 for HBO Max, Netflix’s Heartbreak High, the Apple TV series Fountain, the Legendary Pictures feature Godzilla x Kong and soon-to-released Apple TV series Time Bandits.
Rachel has recently finished directing her debut feature film The Mountain, which is currently doing the festival circuit and garnered high praise in its Australasian release. As a student at the renowned Prague Film School, Rachel was awarded Best Director and the audience award for her two short films. She continued to garner awards as a director, notably for the Te Reo Māori version of Troilus and Cressida performed at the Globe Theatre in London. She has also directed commercials for ASB with Curious Films and Auckland Transport with Adrenalin. Her other work as an actor includes Moana, Soul, Thor: Ragnarok, Boy, Hunt For The Wilderpeople, Penguin Bloom, Cousins, Millie Lies Low, The Moon Is Upside Down, Next Goal Wins and The Portable Door. She is also a celebrated voice artist for television having starred in Sherwood, The Lion Guard, Underground Uglies, Amphibia, Princess And Pony, 100% Wolf and Koala Man.
As an acting coach she has worked alongside Jane Campion for Top Of The Lake and The Power Of The Dog; and with Taika Waititi on Boy, Hunt For The Wilderpeople, Jojo Rabbit and Next Goal Wins. In recognition of her significant contributions to the theatre, film and television industry, Rachel has been awarded an Arts Laureate, NZ Order of Merit, Mana Wahine from WIFT and Te Waipuna a Rangi (Matariki Awards) as an actor and director.
Narelda Jacobs
host
Narelda Jacobs OAM is a Whadjuk Noongar journalist and presenter. Her career at Network 10 spans more than two decades. Narelda presents the daily one-hour national news bulletin 10 News First: Lunchtime and 10 News First: Afternoons. You'll also find her on NITV and SBS, the ABC, podcast airwaves, appearing in documentaries and Australian dramas, hosting events around the country and internationally, sharing her lived experience on panels and giving back to her community through various ambassadorial and board roles.
Plan your visit
Venue information
Our foyers will be open 90 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and two hours pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Refreshments will be available for purchase from our theatre bars.
All Sydney Opera House foyers are pram accessible, with lifts to the main and western foyers. The public lift to all foyers is accessible from the corridor near the escalators on the Lower Concourse and also in the Western Foyer via the corridor on the Ground Level (at the top of the escalators). Pram parking will be available outside the theatres in the Western Foyer.
Getting here
The Sydney Opera House Car Park, operated by Wilson Parking, is open and available to use. Wilson Parking offer discounted parking if you book ahead. Please see the Wilson Parking website for details.
Please check the Transport NSW website for the latest advice and information on travel. You can catch public transport (bus, train, ferry) to Circular Quay and enjoy a six minute walk to the Opera House.
Frequently asked questions
Ticket purchases and collection at our Box Office is discouraged and eTicket or postal delivery methods should be used, wherever possible. However, if you are collecting your tickets from the Box Office, we recommend doing this at least 60 minutes before the event starts. If you have already received your tickets, the venue doors will be open 45 minutes pre-show for Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and 30 minutes pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Please take your seats as soon as you arrive.
If you are late, we will seat you as soon as we can and, where possible, in your allocated seat. However, to reduce movement in the venue as well as minimise disruption to the performance and other patrons, ticketholders may be seated in an allocated latecomer’s seat. Please be aware that some events have lock-out periods. In these cases, latecomers will be admitted at a suitable break in the performance. On occasions, this may not be until the interval, or at all where there is no interval.
Details of our right to refuse admission can be found in our General Terms and Conditions for Tickets and Events.
In accordance with our venue security procedures, Opera House security will be scanning and checking bags under the Monumental Stairs, prior to entering the building. Bags will be scanned by an x-ray machine, and staff will wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when handling your belongings, such as gloves. Cloaking facilities will be open 60 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and 60 minutes pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. However it is strongly encouraged that you travel lightly to minimise contact and queuing. Any bags larger than an A4 piece of paper will need to be checked into the Cloak Room.
The authorised agency for this event is the Sydney Opera House.
Only tickets purchased by authorised agencies should be considered reliable. If you purchase tickets from a non-authorised agency such as Ticketmaster Resale, Viagogo, Ticketbis, eBay, Gumtree, Tickets Australia or any other unauthorised seller, you risk that these tickets are fake, void or have previously been cancelled. Resale restriction applies. For more details, please refer to our General Terms and Conditions for Tickets and Attendance at Events.
Please contact Box Office on +61 2 9250 7777 as soon as possible to advise if you can no longer attend.
Foyers will be open 90 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and two hours pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Refreshments will be available for purchase from our theatre bars.
The venue doors will be open 45 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and 30 minutes pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances.
Please bring a credit or debit card for any on site purchases to enable contactless payment. You’re welcome to bring your own water bottle but no other food and drinks are permitted inside our venues.
The health, safety and wellbeing of everyone at the Sydney Opera House is our top priority. In line with this commitment, the Opera House became a smoke-free site in January 2022. Read our Smoke-free Environment Policy.
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