Ahead of the show, The Border Mail spoke with lead Craig Quilliam, who plays the Phantom, about how the age old text has withstood the test of time to maintain its relevance to a contemporary audience.

Though written in 1986, Mr Quilliam said the musical still had meaning in a modern context as it taught valuable lessons about masculinity, love and self growth.

"One of the important story lines within the piece is about being able to look within yourself and analyse yourself," Mr Quilliam said.

The story follows the journey the Phantom, a musical genius who is shunned and unloved by society because of a facial deformity, leading to toxic and controlling behaviour.

Mr Quilliam said the Phantom was never shown compassion, so didn't know how to emulate it when he tried to win the love of a young soprano, Christine, by teaching her to sing.

"When he falls in love with Christine he doesn't know how to love her and to treat her," he said.

Mr Quilliam said when Christine fell in love with another, the Phantom was initially jealous and angry, but his character developed.

"That's why I like Phantom so much," he said.

"Because you see him go from someone who is manipulative and is twisted...then to be able to show the character development of him realising what love is.

"If you really truly love someone and they don't want to be with you, you'd give them up, you'd let them go."

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Mr Quilliam said the Phantom's possessiveness was a mirror to a lot of men's treatment of women in today's society, but the story showed that men could grow.

"Men aren't allowed to show emotion," he said.

"Men aren't allowed to cry and be humble and to be soft and to be compassionate and to be vulnerable."

He said the Phantom's self discovery and learning how to be vulnerable were key threads through the story.

"There's an insecurity there within him and because of that insecurity he acts out to try to regain control," he said.

"It's not until he realises that he doesn't have to have control, that he can be loved without it...that he softens.

"You see him going from this person with a facade, a literal facade in front of his face, to someone who's had that stripped off him.

"In the very last moment he's shown what compassion looks like, something that he's missed his entire life.

"It awakens him."

The show starts at 7.30pm.

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