Shaggy Joins Sting as Wallsend Ferryman in Brisbane's The Last Ship

Shaggy, born Orville Richard Burrell, will join Sting onstage in Brisbane as the Wallsend ferryman for the Australian-exclusive season of The Last Ship, performing at Queensland Performing Arts Centre’s Glasshouse Theatre from 9 April to 3 May 2026 in a strictly limited run of 29 performances. Tickets are now available for the southern hemisphere premiere staged in QPAC’s new 1,500-seat venue.

The casting pairs two internationally known musicians in character roles: Sting, who wrote and composed The Last Ship and plays foreman Jackie White, and Shaggy, who will appear exclusively during the Brisbane season. Shaggy said in a statement, “I’m honoured to join Sting onstage in Brisbane and am especially grateful to help bring a story so personal to him to life.” Sting has described the show’s roots in his upbringing, saying, “I grew up in the shadow of the shipyard” and, “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.”

Queensland Performing Arts Centre presents the production as a flagship event in the Glasshouse Theatre opening program, mounting The Last Ship with a cast of 48 performers, musicians and choristers. QPAC Chief Executive Rachel Healy framed the pairing of Sting and Shaggy as a rare theatrical moment: “Sting and Shaggy have collaborated for years - from their Grammy Award-winning album 44/876 to extensive international touring - but global audiences have never seen them step into character roles side by side. To witness two close friends bring Sting's own story to life is a rare and unmissable experience, and we're thrilled that Queensland's new Glasshouse Theatre will host the only Australian season of this remarkable creative partnership.”

The production carries Broadway credentials: the original run received two Tony Award nominations for Best Original Score and Best Orchestrations. Queensland’s support and event partnerships are explicit: Strategic Partner is the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland and Event Partner is the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. Management ties reported for both artists list Martin Kierszenbaum of Cherrytree Music Company.

Local officials are projecting measurable returns from the exclusive season. Queensland Minister for the Arts John-Paul Langbroek said the production “will lure thousands of people to our State capital, inject more than $11 million into our economy and grow our capacity for major arts events in the lead up to the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games.” Those figures are presented as the Minister’s estimate in the lead-up to the Glasshouse Theatre launch.

Shaggy brings heavyweight pop-reggae credentials to the stage: he is described in press materials as the only diamond-selling artist in reggae history, a two-time Grammy Award winner with over 40 million albums sold, and among the top three most-streamed reggae artists worldwide. His catalogue includes breakthrough single “Oh Carolina” and hits “Boombastic” and “It Wasn’t Me.” He also has a new album, Lottery, slated for release in May via VP Records and Shaggy’s Ranch Entertainment. The Brisbane season gives Australian audiences 29 chances between 9 April and 3 May to see Sting and Shaggy step into character together.