thetheatre.au

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
2025-05-09 - 2025-06-08 | Hayes Theatre Co., 19 Greenknowe Avenue, Elizabeth Bay, NSW, 2011, Australia
Overdose on love (and gazpacho)
Step into the vibrant, hilarious world of 1980s Madrid, where Pepa, a heartbroken actress, finds her life spiralling out of control after her lover’s sudden disappearance.
As she searches for answers, Pepa navigates a series of increasingly outrageous events alongside a cast of eccentric characters — including a vengeful ex-wife, a best friend entangled with an international terrorist, a power-suited lawyer, and enough sedative-laced gazpacho to knock out half of Spain.
Following his award-winning, critically acclaimed seasons of Cry Baby and American Psycho, Alexander Berlage returns to the Hayes to direct this exhilarating comedy, based on the iconic movie by Pedro Almodóvar.

Hadestown Melbourne
2025-05-08 - 2025-07-06 | Her Majesty’s Theatre, 219 Exhibition Street, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
The acclaimed musical phenomenon HADESTOWN by singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell and director Rachel Chavkin will premiere at Theatre Royal Sydney in February 2025 and Melbourne’s Her Majesty’s theatre in May 2025.
‘Big, beautiful and emotionally blasting’ (The Guardian UK), HADESTOWN  is the winner of 8 Tony Awards® including BEST MUSICAL and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album. Seen by three million, streamed by over 350 million and adored by fans all around the world, this is ‘your next musical theatre obsession’ (Vogue).
HADESTOWN is a defiantly hopeful theatrical experience that will take you on a journey to the underworld and back, intertwining two mythic love stories – that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife Persephone.
HADESTOWN invites you to imagine how the world could be.

The Black Woman of Gippsland
2025-05-05 - 2025-05-31 | Southbank Theatre, 140 Southbank Boulevard, Southbank, VIC, 3006, Australia
From Andrea James (Sunshine Super Girl) comes The Black Woman of Gippsland – a story of Victoria’s dark past that is in dire need of revisiting, told as a thrilling modern mystery that unfolds with beauty, tragedy and rebellion.
A woman is tossed ashore from the sea, bedraggled and lost. A century and a half later, another finds herself diving deep into the truth behind a lingering legend.
Jacinta’s family is driving her up the wall and her academic career is floundering, but amongst the books, something doesn’t feel right about the story history tells. The myths and half-truths that surround the figure of a ‘white woman’ said to have lived among the Gunaikurnai people of Gippsland in the 1840s are so abundant it seems the reality is out of reach. But Jacinta is determined to unearth the truth for herself and her Gunaikurnai family no matter the twists and turns the journey might take her on.
Based on real events and set on Andrea’s grandmother’s country, The Black Woman of Gippsland is a poetic, emotionally rich and clever embracing of First Nations stories that have long been silenced.

And Then There Were None Sydney
2025-05-03 - 2025-06-01 | Theatre Royal, 108 King Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia
Agatha Christie’s breathtaking masterpiece, And Then There Were None is coming to Australia in 2025.
From the producers of the hugely successful Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap comes a brand-new production of the best-selling crime novel of all time.
Ten strangers are lured to a solitary mansion on an island off the English coast. When a storm cuts them off from the mainland, the true reason for their presence on the island becomes horribly clear.
Directed by Robyn Nevin (The Mousetrap), this gorgeously grim thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Starring Jack Bannister as Anthony Marston, Brendan Ewing as Rogers, Eden Falk as Dr. Armstrong, Jennifer Flowers as Emily Brent, Nicholas Hammond as General Mackenzie, Mia Morrissey as Vera Claythorne, Peter O’Brien as William Blore, Christen O’Leary as Mrs. Rogers, Chris Parker as Fred Narracott, Anthony Phelan as Sir Lawrence Wargrave and Tom Stokes as Philip Lombard.
“Welcome to Soldier Island…”
Touring Dates
Melbourne 16 February to 23 March 2025. The Comedy Theatre
Sydney 3 May to 1 June 2025. Theatre Royal
Perth 8-22 June 2025. Her Majesty’s Theatre.
Adelaide 2-10 August 2025. Her Majesty’s Theatre.

The Last Word
2025-05-02 - 2025-05-03 | The Butterfly Club, 5 Carson Place, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
Green Room Award Nominee: Best Original Songs (2025)
A collection of original music and anecdotes, The Last Word captures the heartfelt, comedic and infuriating ways relationships can start and end. A reflection of Imogen’s mid-20s, and drawing musical influences from Gillian Cosgriff, Missy Higgins and Tim Minchin, this cabaret is the perfect opportunity for Imogen to say (and sing) everything she’s wanted to, without giving anyone the right of reply.
Returning to the Butterfly Club for two shows only, following critical hit seasons at Geelong Comedy Festival and FringeWorld Perth, this cabaret is for anyone who’s ever really, really, really wanted to have the last word.
“A voice and a presence that would outshine anybody else…grabs the audience’s attention in a vice grip. 4 stars” FringeFeed
“Charismatic star power on display.” – My Melbourne Arts
“A star like Tim Minchin. The music and lyrics already feel like they belong in a smash hit like Matilda. 4 stars” – What’s The Show

The Beep Test
2025-04-30 - 2025-05-10 | Theatre Works, 14 Acland Street, St. Kilda, VIC, Australia
‘The class of Year 7C have been training hard for the annual Beep Test. Hearts will be
broken, friendships destroyed, and someone may sh*t themselves!’
The Beep Test is a comedic, fast-paced, over-the-top new Australian musical that dives into the drama and chaos that was school Beep Tests! The musical follows four determined students and one far too enthusiastic PE Teacher of Class 7C as they compete for the number one place, whatever the cost!
This dynamic comedy from Australian musical theatre writers Neylon and Peele has been the recipient of numerous awards across the country, including the Green Room Award for ‘Best New Australian Musical.’
Incorporating tight choreography, a witty script and impressive vocal performances, ‘The Beep Test,’ captures the essence of school life and competitive spirit, resonating with audiences who were fortunate or unfortunate enough to be subjected to this Australian tradition!

Les Misérables The Arena Spectacular Sydney
2025-04-30 - 2025-05-09 | ICC Sydney Theatre, 14 Darling Dr, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia
Cameron’s Mackintosh production of Boublil and Schönberg’s LES MISÉRABLES THE ARENA SPECTACULAR has commenced its World Tour and will arrive in AUSTRALIA APRIL 2025 with strictly limited performances in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. As the world’s longest-running musical enters its 40th revolutionary year in London, this spectacular production features an extraordinary and exciting new design specifically created for larger venues with a cast and orchestra of over 65.
Seen by over 130 million people worldwide in 53 countries and in 22 languages, Les Misérables is undisputedly one of the world’s most popular musicals. The Australian production will feature a company of famous Les Mis stars and brilliant new ones led by Alfie Boe and Killian Donnelly sharing the role of Jean Valjean and Michael Ball and Bradley Jaden sharing the role of Javert. Joining them are Matt Lucas and Marina Prior as The Thénardiers, Rachelle Ann Go as Fantine, Jac Yarrow as Marius, Beatrice Penny-Touré as Cosette and James D. Gish as Enjolras with a cast and orchestra of over 65.
Victor Hugo’s classic tale is an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption – a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. With a magnificent score of iconic songs including “I Dreamed a Dream”, “On My Own”, “Bring Him Home”, “One Day More” and more, this epic and uplifting story is undisputedly one of the world’s favourite musicals.
A blockbuster on steroids – t

The Boys
2025-04-29 - 2025-05-04 | Bluestone Church Arts Space, 8A Hyde Street, Footscray, VIC, 3011, Australia
A family bound by an unthinkable crime. A past that keeps repeating, a lesson still unlearned.
Gordan Graham’s play, The Boys, is a powerful and unsettling exploration of family and gendered violence, examining its ripple effects on the women left in its wake. Originally inspired by the events surrounding the Anita Cobby murder, this fictionalised account offers an intimate look at the lives of three brothers and the forces that shaped them.
Green Room nominated Director, Tess Walsh, brings this urgent story to the stage with a modernised setting—underscoring that these cycles of violence are not relics of the past but continue to be deeply ingrained in our society. The production challenges the audience to confront the complexities of these issues and reflect on the role we all play in dismantling harmful attitudes. By placing this harrowing story in the safety of a theatre setting, The Boys invites audiences to witness, reflect, and engage in vital conversations about change.

The Lord of the Rings - A Musical Tale Melbourne
2025-04-26 - 2025-06-08 | The Comedy Theatre, 240 Exhibition Street, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
Embark on a stunning new journey, as The Lord of the Rings unfolds in a breathtaking and critically acclaimed live stage production to capture hearts and imagination, like never before.
Longtime fans and newcomers alike will be immersed in the world of Middle-earth™, in the company of Hobbits, as J.R.R. Tolkien’s trilogy of books, The Lord of the Rings is brought to life, in an award-winning musical theatre event featuring spectacular world-class theatrics and captivating live music.
The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale stars some of Australia’s most acclaimed musical theatre performers and actor-musicians including Jemma Rix as Galadriel, Ian Stenlake as Saruman, Rob Mallett as Strider and Rarmian Newton as Frodo Baggins.
Touring
Sydney Closes 1 Feb
Perth 19/3 -6/4/2025
Melbourne 26/4 – 8/6/2025
Gold Coast 4/7-20/7/2025

The Comeuppance
2025-04-26 - 2025-05-25 | Red Stitch: The Actor’s Theatre, Rear 2 Chapel Street, St Kilda East, VIC, 3182, Australia
The Comeuppance by American playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins will get its Australian debut, following its acclaimed world premiere at Off-Broadway’s Signature Theatre last year. Directed by the award-winning Gary Abrahams (Iphigenia In Splott, Red Stitch; Yentl, Arts Centre Melbourne; Admissions, Melbourne Theatre Company), this masterful new work centres on a group of friends who gather on the night of their 20th high school reunion. What unfolds is a haunting, timely satire that tests friendships, while mortality looms at the edge of the party. A two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, Jacobs-Jenkins’ astute script is brilliantly witty and theatrical.

Peppa Pig’s Fun Day Out LIVE! Melbourne
2025-04-26 - 2025-04-27 | Athenaeum Theatre, 188 Collins Street, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
Peppa Pig is back in her oinktastic new show, Peppa Pig’s Fun Day Out LIVE! Join Peppa, her family and friends as they go to the zoo and beach for a special party – it’s going to be a fun packed day! Presented by TEG Life Like Touring and Fierylight, Peppa Pig’s Fun Day Out LIVE! is packed full of songs, dance and muddy puddles and will tour Australia April-May 2025.

Heisenberg by Simon Stephens
2025-04-24 - 2025-05-04 | The Basin Theatre, corner Doongalla Rd and, Simpsons Rd,, Doongalla, VIC, 3154, Australia
A romantic adventure begins at a bustling London train station where 42-year-old American, Georgie Burns, kisses the neck of a much older Irish man, Alex Priest, a butcher. This electric encounter thrusts two perfect strangers into a fascinating and unlikely relationship, part friendship, part love-affair.

Alice in Wonderland Sydney
2025-04-12 - 2025-04-27 | Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, Mrs Macquaries Rd, Sydney, NSW, 2000
Join Alice on her amazing journey through Wonderland and experience an adventure like no other.
This school holiday, tumble down the rabbit hole as the Australian Shakespeare Company presents Lewis Carroll’s absurd & wickedly clever classic – Alice in Wonderland.
‍
Brought to life beautifully in Glenn Elston’s highly acclaimed production, this familiar tale is stunningly lifted right from the pages.
Your favourite assortment of curious characters are all waiting for you… meet the skittish, constantly late White Rabbit, sing along with the Dodo and other birds in the Caucus race and meet the pepper-obsessed Duchess and her extremely crazy cook. The Cheshire Cat will leave you with a grin and you can’t fail to miss Humpty Dumpty on his way to meet Tweedledum and Tweedledee. And what might seem slightly silly, becomes downright absurd as the Mad Hatter arrives with the March Hare and Dormouse to have a grand old time with Alice at the tea party.
This enchanting world of song, dance & interactive games will have the whole family dizzy & giddy with nonsense!

Josephine Wants to Dance
2025-04-11 - 2025-04-12 | Alexander Theatre Clayton, Monash University 48 Exhibition Walk,, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
A hilarious musical about self-discovery, ballet, hip-hop and…a kangaroo.
Based on the picture book by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley, this delightful musical is a must see!
Josephine is a kangaroo who loves to dance. Her little brother, Joey, tells her kangaroos don’t dance, they hop – but Josephine continues to point her toes and leap through the air. When a ballet troupe comes to the sleepy town of Shaggy Gully, Josephine desperately wants to dance like the ballerinas in pink tutus and silk ballet shoes.
On the day of the first performance the Ballet Company is in trouble. The prima ballerina twists her ankle, and the understudy has a splinter in her toe. Who can dance the lead role? Josephine’s talents are called upon to help save the day. Can she do it, and more importantly, does it matter that she’s a kangaroo?

MARVELous: A Risque Parody
2025-04-10 - 2025-04-20 | The National Theatre, 20 Carlisle Street, St Kilda, VIC, 3182, Australia
“A cleverly created Marvel parody lands with spectacular delivery” – Stage Whispers
Featuring aerials, live vocals, dance, stunts, and a risqué twist – MARVELous is an outrageously hilarious parody of Marvel heroes, and beloved films like Dirty Dancing, Magic Mike, Flashdance, and The Greatest Showman, packed with references everyone will love.
Comedy & satire reign supreme as Deadpool reads the audience a raunchy bedtime story – transforming familiar film scenes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe into comedic & raunchy spectacles, subverting all expectations and revealing unique twists and skillful parodies for an adult audience (15+). Add in a rock-infused soundtrack, a breathtaking stage design, and MARVELous is guaranteed to be the night out you never knew you needed.
WARNING: This show includes partial nudity, coarse language, adult themes. Persons under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

The Little Mermaid Jr
2025-04-09 - 2025-04-12 | Rowville Performing Arts Centre, Rowville Secondary College (Eastern Campus), Humphreys Way, Rowville, VIC, 3178, Australia
Beautiful mermaid Ariel should be a happy girl — she lives in an enchanted undersea country, her father is a King, and she has the most beautiful singing voice. But she is a passionate, headstrong teenager, and wants what she cannot have — to live on land.
When she falls in love with a handsome human prince, Ariel is more determined than ever to gain a pair of legs. But her only option is to defy her furious father, and bargain with Ursula the Sea Witch, giving her voice as the price of entry onto dry land. With the help of Flounder the fish, Scuttle the seagull, and officious court composer Sebastian the crab, Ariel must wordlessly gain Prince Eric’s love within three days — or lose her soul to the ambitious witch!
Based on the classic Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, and the wildly popular Disney film, this musical staging of The Little Mermaid features a funny and fanciful book by Doug Wright, with the beloved score by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, and Glenn Slater in an expanded but completely faithful form, featuring the rambunctious and persuasive “Under the Sea,” the romantic expectation of “Kiss the Girl,” and that anthem to longing and belonging, “Part of Your World.”

FLOP
2025-04-08 - 2025-04-20 | Arts Centre Melbourne, 100 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
ARTHUR HULL uncovers some of the best songs from the worst musicals ever written.
The neon lights aren’t always bright on Broadway, for every hit there are 50 flops. This show is a love letter to the rollercoaster world of musicals and the people who make them – people who need people. From commercial and critical failures to obscure and forgotten gems, Arthur sets out to prove that every musical can be proud of at least one song. Maybe.
Arthur is Australia’s National Busking Champion and one of Adam Lambert’s Top 3 Finalists on The Voice.

Mansfield Park
2025-04-04 - 2025-04-05 | Her Majesty’s Theatre Ballarat, 17 Lydiard Street, Ballarat Central, VIC, 3350
Published in 1814, Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park tells the story of Fanny Price who, as a girl, was sent from her impoverished family to live with her wealthy relatives in their opulent manor. As a young woman of marrying age, Fanny must navigate her new social environment, including the romantic entanglements and moral dilemmas of her cousins.
Jonathan Dove’s musical adaptation of Mansfield Park invites guests to be a fly on the wall in Jane Austen’s world of family drama, marriage negotiations, class and flirtation. This performance will be held in the iconic Her Majesty’s Theatre Ballarat, with a full orchestral score.
Featuring some of Australia’s finest performers, this production will sparkle with style, wit, and Georgian decorum.

The Thrill of Love
2025-04-03 - 2025-05-03 | bakery@1812, 3 Rose Street, Upper Ferntree Gully, VIC, 3156, Australia
A divorcee with a young child to care for, Ruth works in the kind of nightclubs where there’s more than just a drink on offer. The girls work hard, play hard and dream of a movie-star life.
Then she meets the wealthy, womanising David, a racing driver with whom she becomes obsessed. Fame comes — but not in the way she imagines.
Why does their relationship end in murder?
Why does she plead not guilty but offer no defence?
Why does she show no remorse?
And who is she trying to protect?
Amanda Whittington’s play The Thrill of Love tells the true story of Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in Britain, and takes a fresh look at the woman behind the headlines.

Shirley Valentine
2025-04-01 - 2025-04-06 | Her Majesty’s Theatre Adelaide, 58 Grote Street, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia
Natalie Bassingthwaighte stars in the award-winning Shirley Valentine!
Experience the heartwarming, hilarious, and utterly inspiring story of Shirley Valentine, brought to life by Australian stage and screen star Natalie Bassingthwaighte. Written by Willy Russell and directed by Lee Lewis, this timeless West End and Broadway comedy will take you on a journey of self-discovery, laughter, and second chances.
Shirley is an unassuming housewife with a dream—and a passport. Talking to her kitchen wall, she dreams of escape and wonders what happened to the adventurous girl she once was.
When a friend invites her on a spontaneous holiday to Greece, Shirley takes a bold leap into the unknown!
With Natalie Bassingthwaighte’s magnetic charm and powerhouse performance, this one-woman tour de force will have you laughing, crying, and cheering for Shirley’s exciting new chapter. Don’t miss this must-see theatrical event in Adelaide! Whether you’re revisiting a beloved story or discovering it for the first time, Shirley Valentine will leave you inspired and uplifted.
Recommended for ages 12 and up
This production uses loud or unexpected noises, a music soundtrack, and a total blackout. It contains coarse language, and references sexual assault, abuse and violence.
Runtime
2 hours and 10 minutes
Includes one 20-minute interval

The Producers
2025-03-29 - 2025-04-27 | Hayes Theatre Co., 19 Greenknowe Avenue, Elizabeth Bay, NSW, 2011, Australia
They picked the wrong play; the wrong director; the wrong cast… Where did they go right?
Bialystock and Bloom! Those names strike terror and hysteria into anyone familiar with Mel Brooks’ classic cult-comedy film, or the smash-hit, record-breaking Broadway musical it inspired. Blazing the trail for a new kind of modern, outrageous, in-your-face musical comedy, The Producers won a record 12 Tony Awards. Now, the show comes to the Hayes in an all-new production!
The plot is simple: a down-on-his-luck Broadway producer and a mild-mannered accountant come up with a scheme to produce the most notorious flop in history – thereby swindling their backers (all ‘little old ladies’) out of millions of dollars. Only one thing goes wrong – the show becomes a smash hit. The antics of Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom as they manoeuvre their way fecklessly through finding the ‘perfect’ show (the gloriously offensive Springtime for Hitler), hiring the ‘ideal’ director, raising the money, and finally getting their comeuppance is a masterclass in comedy construction. And at the core of this insanely funny adventure is the heartfelt emotional journey of two very different people who up-end each other’s lives, and – against all odds – become friends.
With a truly hysterical book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan (Annie), and music and lyrics by Brooks himself, The Producers takes no prisoners in skewering classic Broadway – and creates a new Broadway classic in the process.
Running Time
Approx. 2 hours and 30 minutes – including interval

Annie The Musical Sydney
2025-03-27 - 2025-06-21 | Capitol Theatre Sydney, 13 Campbell Street, Haymarket, NSW, 2000, Australia
Annie The Musical Sydney
A little hero for a big tomorrow!
The beloved tale of Annie has been capturing the hearts of theatregoers around the globe for generations. And now the legendary, and inspiring production returns to the Capitol Theatre from March for a strictly limited season.
Starring the incomparable Anthony Warlow as “Daddy” Warbucks, the show-stopping Debora Krizak as the infamous Miss Hannigan, alongside triple-threat wonders Mackenzie Dunn as Lily St. Regis, and Keanu Gonzalez as Daniel “Rooster” Hannigan. Playing the role of Grace Farrell is the extraordinary Amanda Lea LaVergne.
It’s one of the most awarded and loved musicals of all time. With its iconic score, featuring classics like It’s the Hard-Knock Life, Easy Street and Tomorrow, Annie is truly a timeless musical masterpiece.
Directed by Karen Johnson Mortimer and with brand new choreography by Mitchell Woodcock, Annie has a book and score written by Tony Award winners Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin.
A celebration of hope, family and friendship. This small but mighty young girl has returned to stick out her chin and grin once more! Don’t miss Annie The Musical Sydney.
Show notice: This show may contain loud noises, flashing lights, smoke effects, and strobe lighting.
Age recommendation: 6+
Annie’s running time is 2hrs 30 minutes, including a 20minute interval.
Touring
Sydney 27/2 – 6/6/2025
Melbourne 10/7 -3/8/2025
Brisbane 27/12 -25/1/2026

Sh!t-faced Shakespeare
2025-03-27 - 2025-04-20 | Athenaeum Theatre, 188 Collins Street, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
Sh!t-faced Shakespeare is the hilarious blend of an entirely serious Shakespeare play with an entirely sh!t-faced actor. What could possibly go right? With a genuinely inebriated cast member each night, no two shows are ever the same in this raucous, riotous, rampage through one of Shakespeare’s most loved plays – A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Warning, this show includes a genuinely drunk performer and anything could happen. This show may contain drinking, swearing, nudity, simulated acts of a sexual nature, terrible singing, actual acts of a sexual nature, and quite possibly – some actual Shakespeare.

Murder Village: An Improvised Whodunnit
2025-03-27 - 2025-04-06 | Arts Centre Melbourne, 100 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
It’s Agatha Christie, improvised! After sell-out runs in 2024 in Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane, the award-winning festival favourite Murder Village plays at Arts Centre Melbourne for the 2025 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
Immerse yourself in the cozy world of a 1950s Agatha Christie-style novel as Melbourne’s funniest improvisers craft eccentric characters and perplexing mysteries from your suggestions. Any of the village’s suspicious denizens could be dispatched at any moment, and any of them could be the murderer. It’s your secret ballot votes that determine who lives, who dies and who will be unmasked as the culprit.
In Murder Village, the local police inspector may be incompetent but thankfully local busybody and amateur sleuth Verity Garner is on hand to sort the red herrings from the tell-tale clues. See if you can solve the crime first… whether you see one show or all of them, no two chapters of this critically acclaimed show are the same!
“Completely enthralling… ★★★★★” – Theatre People
“Keeps you on the edge of your seat” ★★★★★ On the House!
“Absolutely hilarious” ★★★★½ Glam Adelaide
“Midsomer Murders meets Thank God You’re Here” ★★★★½ The Ponder Room
“So funny, it should be criminal. ★★★★” – Lilithia Reviews
“Fully improvised and very funny… highly recommended. ★★★★” – Sydney Arts Guide
“A delightfully entertaining show that brings the charm of Agatha Christie novels to life… ★★★★” – Sydney Scoop
“This would easily be the most polished improv I have ever seen.” – Judge’s Pick Comment, Melbourne Fringe Festival 2023
“A classic English murder mystery that’s fully improvised and loaded with humour.” – The Age

The Dictionary of Lost Words
2025-03-27 - 2025-03-29 | Geelong Arts Centre, 50 Little Malop Street, Geelong, VIC, 3020, Australia
BEST-SELLING | NOVEL | ADAPTATION
In 1901, the word bondmaid was discovered to be missing from the Oxford English Dictionary.
The Dictionary of Lost Words is the story of the girl who stole it.
South Australian novelist Pip Williams’ internationally best-selling book, comes to vivid life in this critically acclaimed stage adaptation by South Australian playwright, Verity Laughton.
A best-selling multi-award winner (including the People’s Choice Award at the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards) and chosen for the Reese Witherspoon Book Club, the book has been lauded as an “absorbing, quietly revolutionary novel”, “deeply, intrinsically kind (and) a profoundly comforting place to dwell” (The Age) and “a captivating and slyly subversive fictional paean to the real women whose work on the Oxford English Dictionary went largely unheralded.” (New York Times).
Motherless and ever curious, Esme spends her childhood in the Scriptorium – the “Scrippy”, a converted garden shed in Oxford where her father and a team of lexicographers guided by Dr James Murray are gathering words for the very first Oxford English Dictionary. She hides beneath the sorting table and catches a word on a “slip” as it falls and soon, she finds other words that have been neglected by the men. Here begins Esme’s collection of her own: the Dictionary of Lost Words.
As the years pass, Esme realises that little importance is placed on recording the words and meanings relating to women’s experiences and as her world expands and her circle of friends grows – actresses, suffragettes, market traders, workers, she realises the power in their silenced voices and decides to lend them hers. And on the way, she comes to understand the many meanings of the word “love”.
“The Dictionary of Lost Words is a must-see… the entire season sold out before opening, with every effort being made to find some extra seats. If you can get one, do it. It’s unmissable.”
The Advertiser

Jekyll & Hyde
2025-03-26 - 2025-04-05 | Chapel Off Chapel, 12 Little Chapel Street, Prahran, VIC, 3181, Australia
Bring your monster out to play!
A Slightly Isolated Dog triumphantly returns to Melbourne with their original take on Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella.
Raucous, irreverent and delightfully absurd, Jekyll & Hyde uses the mayhem of theatre, music and comedy to celebrate the darkness within us all.
Presented by Nicholas Clark Management & A Slightly Isolated Dog

The Music Man
2025-03-21 - 2025-03-30 | The Round, 379 - 399 Whitehorse Road, Nunawading, VIC, 3131, Australia
Join NOVA Music Theatre for a delightful production of The Music Man!
Fast-talking traveling salesman ‘Professor’ Harold Hill comes to River City, Iowa, a town hesitant of letting strangers in, especially ones trying to sell something! Harold calls himself a music professor, selling band instruments and uniforms, and the idea of starting a boy’s band with the local youth.
River City families order instruments and uniforms, and in return, Harold begins to teach the boys his revolutionary ‘Think System’.
Marian Paroo, the local librarian and part-time piano teacher, is not so easily convinced. She tracks down information to incriminate Harold, but has a change of heart when she sees her younger brother come out of his shell with the arrival of his new instrument.
Marian and Harold begin to see more of each other and their relationship develops. As the city prepares to celebrate July 4th, a rival and vengeful salesman, Charlie Cowell, arrives to expose Harold and convince the townspeople to arrest him.
Will Harold avoid trouble of his own? Will the boys’ band succeed? Do Harold and Marion end up making music of their own together? Enjoy this delightful piece of Americana that includes such memorable songs as ‘Ya Got Trouble,’ Seventy-Six Trombones’ and ‘Til There Was You’! Full of heart and humour, this lively performance will have you tapping your toes and cheering for love, redemption and the joy of music.
Don’t miss this enchanting theatrical event!

Evil Dead The Musical
2025-03-21 - 2025-03-29 | The Round, 379 - 399 Whitehorse Road, Nunawading, VIC, 3131, Australia
Are you ready for a bloody good time? Evil Dead The Musical is coming to The Round in Nunawading!
The hilarious, record-breaking musical takes all the elements of the cult classic horror films and combines them to make one of the craziest theatrical experiences of all time.
Sing along as college friends accidentally unleash an evil force that turns them into demons on one wild weekend at an abandoned cabin in the woods. It’s all up to Ash (a housewares employee, turned demon-killing hero), to save the day.

SLAY
2025-03-20 - 2025-03-29 | Explosives Factory, Rear Laneway 67 Inkerman Street,, St Kilda, VIC, 3182, Australia
t starts with an eerie disappearance…
What follows is a political horror comedy where the four lesbians that are blamed for the sudden disappearance one by one meet gruesome fates. Can one of them survive to set the record straight?
SLAY is a devised theatrical work that explores representation of queer women from a group of emerging artists interested in using queer theatre to upend the status quo. This is a work that hits the audience like a tonne of bricks, moving at the pace we are now accustomed to consuming media. Through the lens of horror, the work examines the frightening rise in polarisation and it asks audiences what distinguishes truth from fiction in our ever growing online world?
SLAY will shock, surprise and scare, taking inspiration from campy horror that has come before it.

The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale Perth
2025-03-19 - 2025-04-06 | Crown Theatre Perth, Great Eastern Hwy, Burswood, WA, 6100, Australia
