QPAC

Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) has announced that Shaggy - international reggae icon, longtime friend and frequent Sting collaborator - will join the cast of The Last Ship, performing exclusively in Brisbane’s new Glasshouse Theatre from 9 April to 3 May 2026.
  
Orville Richard Burrell CD, professionally known as Shaggy, rose from New York City’s dancehall scene to become the only diamond-selling artist in the genre’s history. After serving in the U.S. Marines, he broke through with “Oh Carolina” and global hits like “Boombastic” and “It Wasn’t Me.”  

A two-time Grammy Award winner with over 40 million albums sold, Shaggy remains among the top three most-streamed reggae artists worldwide. His new album, Lottery, will be released in May via a partnership with VP Records and Shaggy’s Ranch Entertainment. 

He will appear in The Last Ship in the role of the Wallsend Ferryman alongside 48 artists, musicians, and choristers.  

Shaggy said he was looking forward to performing in Queensland as part of the Australian-exclusive season of The Last Ship.  

“I’m honoured to join Sting onstage in Brisbane and am especially grateful to help bring a story so personal to him to life,” Shaggy said. 
  
QPAC Chief Executive Rachel Healy said Shaggy’s addition to The Last Ship was a boon for the Australian-exclusive season in Brisbane. 

 “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,” Ms Healy said. 

“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.” 

Queensland Minister for the Arts John-Paul Langbroek said the production – led by two music icons – would boost Queensland’s reputation as a global arts and cultural destination.

“We’re excited for The Last Ship to dock in Brisbane this April, bringing world-class and chart-topping talent to our shores,” Minister Langbroek said. 

“This stellar production will be among the first to premiere in our new Glasshouse Theatre – a contemporary 1,500-seat venue designed to attract acclaimed artists and shows from Australia and around the world alongside our local artists and arts companies.

“Hosting The Last Ship’s exclusive Australian season 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.”

Inspired by Sting’s childhood in Wallsend in the United Kingdom, and drawing on his own musical roots, The Last Ship tells the piercing story of a community facing the disappearance of their shipyard – the heart of their existence.   

Sting takes on the leading role of Jackie White, the shipyard’s foreman, in this very personal show, and immerses the audience in a hometown he was desperate to escape, a world where love, loss, and hope intertwine.  

The Last Ship is written and composed by Sting and will be presented for the first time in the southern hemisphere in QPAC’s Glasshouse Theatre in 2026 for a strictly limited season. 

The original Broadway production of The Last Ship was nominated for two Tony Awards: Best Original Score and Best Orchestrations. 

The Last Ship forms part of the Glasshouse’s opening program with 29 performances from 9 April to 3 May 2026. 

The Last Ship is supported by Strategic Partner the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland. The Last Ship is supported by Event Partner the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

Sting and Shaggy are both managed by Martin Kierszenbaum/Cherrytree Music Company.