At a glance
- When
- Thursday 3 December 2026 at 7:00pm and Friday 4 December 2026 at 11:00am (two performances only)
- Where
- Empire Theatre, 56 Neil Street, Toowoomba
- Run time
- 2 hours 30 minutes: Act One 70 minutes, a 20-minute interval, Act Two 60 minutes
- Tickets
- General $40 to $65 and Premium $60 to $85 (as of 7 November 2026), with a $5 online booking fee per transaction
- Parking
- Two car parks on Neil Street opposite the theatre, plus Julia and Hume Streets and the Neil Street Bus Interchange; the Empire lists free parking on weekdays after 5:00pm
- Who it’s for
- Anyone heading to Opera Queensland’s Into the Woods at the Empire Theatre on 3 or 4 December; the Empire lists it for ages 12 and up
- What to do now
- Book through the Empire’s website, by phone on 1300 655 299 or at the ticket office; wheelchair seating and Companion Card bookings go through the ticket office or phone only
- Last checked
- Saturday 7 November 2026, against the Empire Theatre’s Into the Woods page and its Plan Your Visit, FAQ and Accessibility pages, and Opera Queensland’s Into the Woods page
- Not yet confirmed
- The Toowoomba cast (Opera Queensland’s cast list sits under the Brisbane season), how many tickets are left, and what parking costs before 5:00pm on the Friday
Into the Woods plays the Empire Theatre at 56 Neil Street, Toowoomba, at 7:00pm on Thursday 3 December 2026 and 11:00am on Friday 4 December 2026, runs 2 hours 30 minutes including a 20-minute interval, and has tickets from $40 to $85 before the booking fee. If you drive to the Thursday night show, the Empire lists weekday parking after 5:00pm as free, in the car parks on Neil Street opposite the theatre, on the corner of Julia and Hume Streets and at the Neil Street Bus Interchange.
This guide uses the Empire’s own Into the Woods page, its Plan Your Visit, FAQ and Accessibility pages, and Opera Queensland’s Into the Woods page, all read on Saturday 7 November 2026. The Empire is the venue and ticket seller, so its pages are the ones to trust if anything below changes.
What is Into the Woods, and who is putting it on?
Into the Woods is a Stephen Sondheim musical with a book by James Lapine. The Empire’s page says it follows well-loved characters including Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and Rapunzel, and asks what happens when the story ends and everyone is meant to live happily ever after. The page adds that when deepest desires are fulfilled, not all wishes are granted without a cost.
The Empire lists the production as presented by Opera Queensland. Opera Queensland’s page says that in 2026 it, Queensland Theatre Company and Queensland Symphony Orchestra collaborate on a new production, which plays the Glasshouse Theatre at QPAC in Brisbane from 11 to 21 November 2026 and then travels to Toowoomba’s Empire Theatre for two performances in December. It credits Patrick Nolan as director and James Dobinson as conductor and musical director.
Opera Queensland’s cast list, which includes Amy Lehpamer as the Baker’s Wife, Ali McGregor as the Witch and Justin Smith as the Baker, sits on the page for the whole tour and under the Brisbane season. Neither page says the same cast will appear in Toowoomba.
What time should I arrive?
The Empire’s FAQ says the foyer doors and the ticket office open one hour before each show, and the doors to find your seats open 15 minutes before. Here is what that means for each performance.
| Step | Thursday 3 December | Friday 4 December |
|---|---|---|
| Foyer doors and ticket office open | 6:00pm | 10:00am |
| Doors to your seat open | 6:45pm | 10:45am |
| Show starts | 7:00pm | 11:00am |
| Act One (70 minutes) | 7:00pm to about 8:10pm | 11:00am to about 12:10pm |
| Interval (20 minutes) | About 8:10pm to 8:30pm | About 12:10pm to 12:30pm |
| Act Two (60 minutes) | About 8:30pm to 9:30pm | About 12:30pm to 1:30pm |
The end times are our own sums from the Empire’s listed run time, and the Empire’s page does not give them. The Empire does not publish end times. With a 20-minute interval, you can buy snacks and drinks in the foyers, which the FAQ says open an hour before the show.
The Friday show starts at 11:00am, which is a school-day morning. The Empire’s page lists the show for ages 12 and up and does not say whether the Friday performance is aimed at schools.
What if I am late?
The Empire says it can most often accommodate latecomers, but the performing company may set a lockout period, in which case you wait a few minutes before being let in at a suitable moment. In much rarer cases you are only allowed in during an interval. It does not offer refunds or partial refunds for missing part of a show. Neither the Empire nor Opera Queensland states a lockout rule for this production.
How much are tickets for Into the Woods?
The Empire’s Into the Woods page lists two seating levels, Premium and General, and says a fee of $5 applies per transaction for online bookings. Prices are as of 7 November 2026.
| Ticket type | Premium | General |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | $85.00 | $65.00 |
| Concession | Not listed | $60.00 |
| Empire Cardholder | $78.00 | $58.00 |
| Child under 18 | $60.00 | $40.00 |
| Groups of 6 or more | Not listed | $60.00 each |
The Empire’s page does not say which rows are Premium and which are General. The FAQ says you choose your seat when you buy, and that all ticket purchases are final apart from what the Live Performance Australia Ticketing Code requires. The FAQ also describes Mob Tix for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, limited in number and chosen when you select seats; the Into the Woods page does not list a Mob Tix price.
You can buy online, by phone on 1300 655 299 or at the Ticket Office at 56 Neil Street. The FAQ says the office is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm, and for one hour before performances, and the phone line is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm. Tickets can be added to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet from your ticketing account. If you lose them, the Ticket Office can arrange replacements to pick up on the night.
Where do I park for the Empire Theatre?
The Empire’s Plan Your Visit page says parking, including wheelchair-accessible parking, is available in a choice of two car parks on Neil Street, as well as on Julia Street, reached via Neil Street. The FAQ gives a second description: two car parks in Neil Street opposite the theatre, plus parking on the corner of Julia and Hume Streets and at the Neil Street Bus Interchange.
| When | Parking at the Empire |
|---|---|
| Monday to Friday after 5:00pm | Free of charge |
| Saturday after 11:30am | Free of charge |
| All day Sunday | Free of charge |
The Thursday 7:00pm show falls inside the free weekday period, provided you park after 5:00pm. The Friday 11:00am show starts before 5:00pm, and the Empire’s pages list free parking only for the periods in the table, so they do not say what applies on a Friday morning. One warning from the FAQ: the Empire Theatre staff car park on Julia Street is for staff only, and cars without authorisation will be towed.
Can I get there by bus, on foot or by bike?
The Empire says Bus Queensland provides local bus services around Toowoomba city, Highfields and Crows Nest, and points to the Translink Toowoomba route maps and the council’s bus pages for routes and timetables. The Empire’s pages do not list evening bus times. For travel from outside the region, it lists Greyhound, Murrays and Bus Queensland long-distance services to Toowoomba.
If you live nearby, the Empire encourages walking or cycling. It says shared paths and laneways run along the creeks and through the city centre, with bicycle parking hoops in Margaret Street and Ruthven Street. The theatre sits in the CBD, which the Empire describes as an easy 90-minute drive west of Brisbane, less than two and a half hours from the Gold Coast and a three-hour drive from the Sunshine Coast.
What is accessible?
The Empire says all its venues are wheelchair accessible and that wheelchair seating is booked through the Ticket Office. It also asks that Companion Card bookings, a limited number of which are available, go through the Ticket Office or by phone rather than online. The Into the Woods page repeats that wheelchair seating or Companion Card bookings go through 1300 655 299 or in person. A hearing loop covers rows A to M of the Empire Theatre, and the venue’s wheelchair parking is in the same car parks listed above.
Where can I eat before the show, and is there an ATM?
The Empire lists three nearby partners that give ticket holders 10 per cent off on the day of the show, if you present your ticket when you order or book:
| Partner | What the Empire says |
|---|---|
| The Rock | 10% discount when dining on the day of your show, with ticket presented when ordering |
| Press’d Coffee & Wine | 10% discount on the day of your show; barista coffee by day, wine and beer by night, and you can bring your own dinner |
| Toowoomba Central Plaza | 10% discount on a stay for ticket holders |
There is no ATM inside the theatre, but the bars have EFTPOS. The FAQ says a Westpac ATM is within a few minutes’ walk on Ruthven Street at the front of the Walton Stores precinct.
Is there anything else to know before I go?
Photography and recording are prohibited at most performances, the Empire says, because of copyright. The Empire’s page gives the show an age guide of 12 and up.
Sources
- The Empire — Into the Woods (times, prices, run time; checked 7 November 2026)
- The Empire — Plan Your Visit (parking, buses, walking and cycling, dining partners)
- The Empire — Frequently Asked Questions (doors, parking, late entry, tickets, ATM)
- The Empire — Accessibility
- Opera Queensland — Into the Woods (tour dates, creative team)
Featured image: the Empire Theatre facade, Toowoomba, photographed in 2005 (photo: James Newport / CC BY-SA 3.0) (text added)
OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with The Empire, Empire Theatres Pty Ltd, Opera Queensland, Queensland Theatre Company, Queensland Symphony Orchestra or Translink. Times, prices and parking rules can change; check the Empire’s website before you go.