Shaggy To Join Sting In Australian Exclusive Season Of The Last Ship At QPAC

When those who have the budget to spend $200+ a ticket to see the musical theatre debut of QPAC’s brand new Glasshouse Theatre, attend a performance of The Last Ship from April to May 2025, Sting will not be the only big-name artist performing on the newly constructed stage. International reggae artist Shaggy has been cast in the upcoming Australian exclusive season of Sting’s musical The Last Ship.

The two-time Grammy Award winner will take on the role of the Wallsend Ferryman. He will perform alongside Sting, who stars as shipyard foreman Jackie White, as well as a company of 48 artists, musicians, and choristers. The pair have previously collaborated on the Grammy Award-winning album 44/876 and numerous tours, but this marks the first time they will perform character roles together on stage.

Featuring music and lyrics by Sting, The Last Ship is inspired by his youth in the United Kingdom shipbuilding town of Wallsend. The musical explores the story of a community grappling with the closure of their local shipyard. The original Broadway run earned two Tony Award nominations for Best Original Score and Best Orchestrations. This upcoming 29-performance run in Brisbane is the first time the show will be staged in the southern hemisphere.

Born Orville Richard Burrell CD, Shaggy rose from the New York dancehall scene to achieve diamond-selling status. The former United States Marine is known for tracks such as Oh Carolina, Boombastic, and It Wasn’t Me, having sold over 40 million albums worldwide. His casting comes ahead of his next album, Lottery, which is scheduled for release in May 2026. Commenting on himself joining the cast, Shaggy shared:

The production will take place at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) inside the newly constructed Glasshouse Theatre in Brisbane between 9 April and 3 May 2026. Tickets for the entire season are now on-sale via the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) website