Slide Night! comes to the Sydney Opera House

SOH-Slide-Night-Rove-McManus-with-photographic-slidesA brand-new comedic offering is coming to the Sydney Opera House this winter, with Slide Night! set to premiere in the Playhouse from 15 – 25 June 2023.

A competitive evening of side-splitting spontaneous comedy, Slide Night! will see two teams face off in a series of challenges and games, each more ridiculous than the last.

One of Australia’s most beloved and prolific hosts Rove McManus will MC this energetic live panel show, fresh from touring his latest hour of stand-up.

“I’m very excited to be part of this incredibly fun show that adds a new spontaneous comedic twist to the nostalgia of the classic family slide night,” says Rove McManus.

“Not to mention getting to do it in one of my favourite venues, the Sydney Opera House. When you include all of that and the fact that this time my drunken uncle won’t be there, it’s safe to say this will end up being the best slide night I’ll ever be a part of.”

Each night, Rove will set the scene using photographic slides rescued from op shops and dusty attics across the nation, of images taken in the 60s through to the 90s.

Inspired by the unpredictability of backyard slide nights from years gone by, these photos will create absurd settings and outrageous situations for the comedians to explain away.

Team Captains Bridie Connell (We Interrupt This Broadcast, Tonightly With Tom Ballard, Whose Line Is It Anyway?) and Rebecca De Unamuno (Just for Laughs Australia, The Chasers War on Everything, Kath and Kim) go head-to-head every night, leading a revolving cast of Sydney’s best comic voices for an ultimate throwback evening of belly-aching comedy.

Add to the mix live music from Benny Davis (The Axis of Awesome) to accompany the chaos, an assortment of games, and a new celebrity guest dropping in each night, this new formula will ensure that no two shows are the same but guarantees to have you in stitches.

“Premiering a new show format is always an exciting undertaking, and working with such brilliant Australian comedic talent has been a joy,” said Sydney Opera House Head of Contemporary Performance, Ebony Bott.

“For some, Slide Night will be a nostalgic trip down memory lane; for others with no personal reference to a slide night, the show presents a new take on an old tradition. Either way, this is innovative sketch comedy where truly anything can happen.”

The perfect live experience for lovers of original and authentic Australian comedy, Slide Night! has been developed for the Sydney Opera House stage with Llandilo, led by Network 10’s former Head of Comedy producer Paul Leadon.


Slide Night! 
Playhouse – Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney
Performances: 15 – 25 June 2023
Information and Bookings: www.sydneyoperahouse.com

Image: Rove McManus with photographic slides (supplied)