In an Australian exclusive, 17-time GRAMMY Award-winner Sting will perform in his musical ‘The Last Ship’ at Queensland Performing Arts Centre’s newest venue, Glasshouse Theatre, next year.
The global icon will play a leading role, in a renewed version of the acclaimed musical which he first developed in 2011. It was initially inspired by his 1991 album ‘The Soul Cages’.
Rooted in Sting’s own childhood in the British shipbuilding town of Wallsend, ‘The Last Ship’ tells the moving story of a community of shipbuilders in the northeast of England, who are faced with the closure of their shipyard. . . Which is at the heart of their very existence.
Sting will take on the role of foreman Jackie White. Jackie’s health is failing just as his leadership is needed most.
“I grew up in the shadow of the shipyard,” Sting says. "My father wanted me to follow him into the shipyard, but I dreamed of something else. . . I dreamed of escaping, and I did everything in my power to get away from that life. But the farther I got, the more I realised I needed to understand where I came from and felt I had to give something back. ‘The Last Ship’ is my tribute to the people and the place that shaped me.”
‘The Last Ship’ will come as Sting takes a break from his world concert touring schedule. He has dedicated a few months in 2026, to taking ‘The Last Ship’ production to cities across the globe. . . Including Brisbane.
Image © Manon van der Zwaal
Beloved Sting tracks like ‘Island Of Souls’, ‘All This Time’ and ‘When We Dance’ can be heard throughout the production. The original stage show premiered in Chicago in 2014, followed by a Broadway run the same year. This renewed version includes new scenes and music, specially adapted for the 2026 run.
“You might have experienced Sting’s amazing stadium performances in the past but witnessing a performer of this calibre sharing a fascinating and deeply personal story in the gorgeous intimacy of Queensland’s brand-new Glasshouse Theatre is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” QPAC Cheif Executive Rachel Healy says. “This will be Sting like you’ve never seen him before.”
“Interestingly, Brisbane has its own shipbuilding history; the Evans Deakin shipyard was Australia’s third largest shipbuilding enterprise just down the river from the Glasshouse Theatre. 2026 marks fifty years since its closure in 1976 so it’s very special to link this local history with the personal experiences retold in ‘The Last Ship’.”
“The fact that we’ve secured this season exclusively for Brisbane in Australia, as the first international production in our new theatre speaks to Brisbane’s reputation as a cultural tourism destination and we’re very grateful to the Queensland Government for its support.”
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‘The Last Ship’ plays Queensland Performing Arts Centre’s Glasshouse Theatre 9 April-3 May 2026.
