Happiest Man on Earth

Following acclaimed seasons and rave reviews across North American and the UK, Mark St Germain’s theatrical adaptation of The Happiest Man on Earth will have its Australian premiere at the Sydney Opera House playing from 11 to 17 May 2026. This deeply moving production brings Anton Berezin to the stage to tell the extraordinary true story of Holocaust survivor Eddie Jaku OAM, as adapted from his international bestselling memoir of the same name.

Eddie’s remarkable story now returns home to Sydney — the city where he found refuge, rebuilt his life, and made the remarkable choice to embrace happiness after unimaginable trauma and loss.

Born Abraham Jakubowicz in Germany in 1920, Eddie Jaku’s life was irrevocably altered on 9 November 1938, Kristallnacht, when he was brutally beaten, arrested, and imprisoned for being Jewish. During World War II, he survived imprisonment in Buchenwald and Auschwitz, endured a death march, escaped, and was eventually rescued by Allied soldiers in 1945.

The Nazis took everything from Eddie — his family, his friends, and his country — but they did not take his spirit. Eddie went on to dedicate his life to sharing his story, educating future generations, and championing kindness, tolerance, and compassion.

This timely and deeply affecting new production is a testament to the endurance of the human spirit and a powerful reminder of our shared responsibility to remember, to bear witness, and to choose humanity over hatred.