Opera Australia’s multi-million dollar production of The Phantom of the Opera on Sydney Harbour has been thrown into chaos after allegations of bullying were made against the company’s long-serving Artistic Director Lyndon Terracini.

A report in today’s Sydney Morning Herald revealed the cast of the show considered withdrawing from a performance over the allegations, centring on actor Callum Francis who plays the character Raoul.

Joshua Robson, Georgina Hopson and Callum Francis, who will star in Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour – The Phantom of the Opera. Photo © Daniel Boud

Francis did not appear in Tuesday night’s performance. Terracini told the Herald it was due to concerns for Francis’s voice after having recently recovered from COVID-19. However there are reports from people involved in the production that Francis’s no-show was due to a strained personal relationship with Terracini.

It is alleged that Terracini recently made an offensive remark to Francis; speaking to the Herald, Terracini denied making the remark.

It was reported that members of the cast were considering “holding the curtain”, an industry term describing what is effectively a strike, with performers not going on stage in...