what year is the phantom of the opera book set in

The now classic (and gently dated) set has given way to a refresh by Paul Brown with more modular pieces, mirrors to heighten the show’s preoccupation with illusion and tricks of light.

Josh Piterman and Amy Manford in Phantom of the Opera. This new production – claiming to be grittier (which in the world of the Phantom seems to mean “more shadows”) and more empowering of its protagonist, Christine (which isn’t really possible in this story) – has never been seen before in Australia.

Producer Cameron Mackintosh created a new version of the frozen-in-time musical in 2012 for touring through the UK and North America, and after the West End Covid-19 theatre shutdowns, it was installed at London’s Her Majesty’s Theatre, the show’s spiritual home. This production, however, is something new. It seems we can’t quite let go of this phenomenon. Opera Australia even staged Phantom of the Opera earlier this year for Handa Opera on the harbour before coming back indoors to do it again.

Local creative collaborators Simon Phillips and Gabriela Tylesova made the best out of Webber’s muddled Phantom sequel, Love Never Dies, and their production remains the definitive, recorded for international posterity. Indeed, Australia has its own long history with the Phantom, making international careers for its most famous men in the mask, Rob Guest and Anthony Warlow. Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Impossibly of its time and remarkably persistent, it is the longest running show in the history of Broadway and the second longest running musical in the West End (after only Les Miserables). Since 1986, the improbable mix of operatic flourish, classic broadway pop, and 80s synth-rock that forms the backbone of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s love-triangle take on Gaston Leroux’s novel has won hearts across the globe, surpassing its source to become our best-known version of the tale. The now classic set has given way to a refresh by Paul Brown to heighten the show’s preoccupation with illusion and tricks of light.

What year is the phantom of the opera book set in