It’s a massive month for theatre all around Australia, with the Helpmann Awards on July 24th only furthering the spotlight on the many great productions happening all over Australia. But the Helpmann nominees aren’t the only shows worth celebrating; here are seven productions which kick off or continue through the month ahead in Sydney, Brisbane, Parramatta and Melbourne we reckon you can’t miss.
SYDNEY | Bangarra Dance Theatre’s Bennelong at the Sydney Opera House
“Choreographed by Stephen Page, Bennelong by the Bangarra Dance Theatre Company, articulates the story of Wollarawarre Bennelong, an Eora man who was kidnaped by Governor Phillip in 1789 and forced to live in the colonies… It’s impossible to single any one performer out as exceptional. Each dancer was absolutely stunning, executing their parts to perfection. By the conclusion of the performance you truly feel as if you have been taken on a journey. It’s emotional and heartbreaking, but utterly significant.” – Naomi Gall (Read the Full Review HERE)
Bennelong will be performed at the Sydney Opera House until 29th July 2017. For more details and tickets, head HERE.
SYDNEY | Cloud Nine at the STC’s Wharf 1 Theatre
Scandalously funny, thought-provoking and heartbreaking, Cloud Nine by Caryl Churchill is an enduring theatrical masterpiece. The UK’s Telegraph said this of the play: “(Cloud Nine is) the cleverest, drollest, most sexily experimental exercise in ‘compare and contrast’ that British theatre has probably ever seen.”
Cloud Nine is on now until 12th August at the Sydney Theatre Company’s Wharf 1 Theatre. For tickets and more information, head HERE.
MELBOURNE | Vigil at Arts Centre Melbourne
Starring Christie Whelan Browne, Vigil is a one-woman musical theatrical encounter exploring life, death, love and honesty. According to The Adviser, it’s “a catchy melody-packed showcase for the multifarious talents of star Christie Whelan Browne… A welcome return for the writing skills of Steve Vizard, who finds just the right mix of relatable family dynamics, emotional depth and comic relief”. Sign us up!
Vigil starts today and runs until 8th July at the Fairfax Studio in the Arts Centre Melbourne. For tickets and more details, head HERE.
SYDNEY | The Rover at Belvoir St Theatre
To get your head around this new production of the 1677 play The Rover – brought to the Belvoir by acclaimed director Eamon Flack – have a read of Flack’s “Director’s Note” over on the Belvoir St Theatre website. He sells this show better than we ever could. It sounds like an excellent production, and features an incredible cast, including Toby Schmitz and Nikki Shiels. Definitely a must see for theatre fans in Sydney.
The Rover runs until 6th August at the Upstairs Theatre in the Belvoir St Theatre. For tickets and more details, head HERE.
BRISBANE | La Boite Theatre Company’s Blackrock at the Roundhouse Theatre
Blackrock, Nick Enright’s hard-hitting modern classic, is one of those plays that grabs you and does not let go. Blackrock builds on several interlocking themes, first of sexual violence, of class and generational conflict, and the difference between a friend and a mate.
This unique collaboration between La Boite and QUT Creative Industries sees the next generation of actors, QUT Bachelor of Fine Arts, Final Year Acting Students take on the iconic young roles alongside an ensemble of professional actors.
Blackrock runs from 22nd July until 12th August at Brisbane’s Roundhouse Theatre as part of the La Boite Theatre Company program. For tickets and more details, head HERE.
PARRAMATTA | National Theatre of Parramatta’s The Incredible Here and Now at Riverside Theatre
Commissioned from local Parramatta author Felicity Castagna based on her multi award winning novel and performed by Australia’s newest theatre company, National Theatre of Parramatta, the coming-of-age drama The Incredible Here and Now looks set to be one of the most talked about shows on the season.
The show is running from 13th to 22nd of July. For tickets and more details, head HERE.
SYDNEY | Mauritius at New Theatre
The Australian premiere of Mauritius is being presented by Sure Foot Productions, and comes to Australia after an acclaimed run in New York, of which The Hollywood Reporter said, “One wouldn’t think that the subject of rare stamps would make for gripping, entertaining theatre, but Theresa Rebeck’s Mauritius proves otherwise…The sort of well-made, engrossing and unpretentious play rarely encountered on Broadway these days.”
Mauritius will be performed from the 12th to the 29th of July at Sydney’s New Theatre. For tickets and more details, head HERE.
Stay tuned to the AU review more about all these productions and more!
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