Cirrus@Austlit

'Northern Ireland, 1987. Deirdre is stuck – between arguments, nations, and the lives she almost lived. But when her old schoolfriends gather in her kitchen yet again for Christmas Eve, their growing differences push to the surface a powder-keg, waiting the tiniest spark. And then one of them turns up with her surprise fiancé.

'He’s English.

'Set against the backdrop of The Troubles, this brilliant debut play is an unforgettable drama of home, friends, the decision to leave or stay, and the possibility of forgiveness.' (Production summary [2024 Belvoir Street production])

'When Zan, a self-proclaimed “FEMINAZI” sets out to kill every man in the world, they undergo an identity crisis to understand the constructs of gender and ingrained homophobia within our queer world.

'Iconic and darkly funny af, FEMINAZI is a part digital part theatre performance about queer guilt, inherent misogyny and homophobia within self.'

Source: Production blurb.

'Lou might not be the smartest, or the richest, but she has her own flat and a son she sees every other weekend. And she’s just installed a Smart House Assistant – what more could she need?

'Lou has shed the skin of the high school dropout, troubled youth, teen mum she once was. So a leaking pipe, a too-smart Smart House AI, and a son she doesn’t understand is nothing she can’t handle. Or the albatross in the ceiling, the octopus under her couch, the way she swims in circles, round and round and round…

'A tangled exploration of motherhood, childhood, and the way technology raises us, Porpoise Pool dives into the depths of Lou’s past, journeying from shallow waters to the unknown deep, while House – carer, confidant, and keeper – does whatever it takes to keep Lou content and complacent.

'“There are two kinds of mothers, Lou. Those who destroy, and those who are destroyed. What kind are you?”'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Jules has achieved her wildest dream: writing a big musical with her idol, Tim Minchin.

'She’s never been happier, her Mum has never been prouder. But from her childhood bedroom, Jules is thrown into something she never prepared for. It becomes clear that nothing is as it seems, and Jules may not be the most reliable narrator.

'An intimate, ironic, playful and heartbreaking musical play with sharp-witted original songs, “Forgetting Tim Minchin” captures the spirit of a generation of lonely artists trying to find their place in the world. Directed by Amy Sole, this world premiere is a moving tribute to the power of iconography, home, and sending your genius into the stars.'

Source: Production blurb.

'Sam and Joey are best friends, and are both on the Year 10 dance team at a prestigious Sydney private school. But when Joey’s ex-boyfriend leaks her nude photo, her world is turned upside down. Meanwhile, Sam’s caught up in her own problem: the debate partner who’s like, totally in love with her. When scrunchies start to go missing, and rumours fly about a kiss at a party, the girls find themselves spinning into unfamiliar territory.

'Saturday Girls is a tender and hilarious story about queer girlhood, high school sexual politics, and growing up in a world that’s determined to box you in.'

Source: Production blurb.

'Helen and Clytemnestra live the domestic goddess dream in myth made modern.

'An ox stand on my tongue asks what if the infamous femme fatale and vilified husband murderer had actually once believed in an idealised domestic dream? What compelled them to justify – or to suppress – the experiences they had endured. 

'This is a play about two women who try – who really do try – to be well behaved, to be the perfect housewife, but who just happen to end up becoming the world’s most notorious adulterer and Husband killing Matricide.'

Source: Production blurb.

'Are you proud to be an Australian?

'Our orator explores the dazzling light and confusing shadow of this question. As a person of mixed race, he finds himself straddling multiple worlds, whilst being truly included in none.

'Shifting between poem and prose, this raw and epic work grapples with how we explore and celebrate diversity. A solo performance that weaves past and present together in a heart-warming, and painfully funny journey to discover how we belong.'

Source: Production blurb.

'A late-capitalist battle royale of endurance.

'HORSES follows the lives of a disparate group of contestants who intertwine across an inhumanely gruelling, Depression-era dance marathon.

'This surreal yet hyper-real social satire slyly and sincerely evokes the 1930s Great Depression to consider the pandemic-ravaged 2020s.

'HORSES plunges audiences inside the macabre cabaret of a historically real but morally unreal ‘reality’ competition.

'Set in Sydney in 1932: A tumultuous, state-shaking year for New South Wales, this ‘murder on the dancefloor’ drama captures endless days of lunacy, laughter, struggle and heartbreak.'

Source: Production blurb.

'In times past, there were ten suns in the sky. Each sun would take their turn to rise and set, until one day all ten suns leapt out together and ran wild…

'In-between suns, moons, heaven and earth lives the story of 后羿 (Hou Yi) and 嫦娥 (Chang’e); two dreamers connected through time, and bound to our present. A story retold, and reimagined for millennia.

'Guided by those who have travelled before, Moon Rabbit Rising embarks on a theatrical adventure through times past, dreams shared and worlds of boundless imagination. As we await the rising moon, what stories dance in the shadows?'

Source: Production blurb.

'A wild night ensues when two couples return from a double date to confront a life-changing decision that will ignite tears, tantrums, sex and laughter. This rapidly paced, witty satire opens the door on an intimate night in the shoes of four unforgettable characters… with a contemporary riff on the classic play Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf for an added twist of humour.'

Source: Production blurb.

'In the pool area of a run-down motel, Darwin, Australia, a motley crew of five characters contemplate the bizarre circumstances that led them there. It’s the height of summer and the small-city has been overrun by a once in a lifetime crocodile infestation, leaving the group confined to the dull and tedious setting of The Palms Motel.

'Cooped up with no direction, Ren, Flick, John and Declan become more impulsive and agitated as the days drag on, increasingly resembling the reptilian threat that surrounds them. As an impending sense of doom approaches, each character must attempt to find direction out of aimless chaos.'

Source: Production blurb.

'It is 1974, and a political uprising that has compromised the safety of millions in the Philippines, brings Nancy, Antero and Cory to Balmain, Sydney. They are to train as nurses under the watchful eye of a jaded Matron, who echoes the sentiments of a harsh and unwelcoming Australia.

'45 years later, the now estranged trio must reconnect under grave circumstances. This is an untold story of first generation immigrants that have shaped the Australia we know today.'

Source: 25A.

'Something unspeakable happens at an ethical eating startup.  Five people give their accounts of why it happened. Bianca, the social media manager, developed a macabre addiction; Josh, the CTO, had a drug-induced vision; Sasha, the CFO, lost $80,000 in an email exchange; Hannah, the boss, was a total work of art; and DJ, well, he’s just DJ. But who is telling the truth, who is telling their version of the truth, and who is evading the question?'

Source: 25A.

'Vitolina, a young woman is the only person who remains on the sinking Pacific nation of Tokelau in its final moments above the ocean. It’s both a blessing and a burden. The others have all made the journey of resettlement to Australia & she remains to witness her Motherland take its final breath, pondering the uncertainty of her future and everything that once made her people who they were.

'She must dance a final Fatele for her home and farewell what once was.

'Set between Tokelau & Western Sydney and against the changing Pacific landscape Te Molimau is a conversation about ‘Home’, about what makes us who we are and how to navigate new Oceans when the Vaka which carried us for generations can do so no longer.'

Source: 25A.

'It’s 1993… China has just launched Operation Skyduck!

'Leading the mission are Captain Yan and Agent Chang. Their objective: to steal America’s most prized flight simulation software.

'After launching an audacious hack into ‘The Matrix’ of the Royal Australian Aerobatic Squadron, they find themselves trapped by a hotshot NSA agent, Commander Kendrick. His plan? To destroy China’s military ambition once on for all…through Inception.

'Quirky and irreverent, Skyduck is a bilingual solo parody of East meets West through the prism of 90’s post-Cold War nostalgia. Think Top Gun meets 007 with a J-Pop backing track.'

Source: 25A.

'Sparring young couple Romi and Dan, failing to make a romantic getaway work, cautiously strike a deal with each other: to spend the getaway apart in order to return refreshed and recommitted. As Dan attempts a strange new form of meditation to reach the highest planes of consciousness, a lost runt Rat Prince from another dimension – Sam – is in desperate need of Romi’s help. But the strangeness of both adventures will pale in comparison to when the couple meet again on The Astral Plane.'

Source: 25A.

'Meet Jess and Joe. They want to tell you their story. Joe is Norfolk born and bred and wears wellies. Jess holidays there with her au pair and is slightly too tubby for her summer dresses. They are miles apart even when they stand next to each other. This is a story of growing up, fitting in (or not), boys, girls, secrets, scotch eggs and maybe even love, but most of all, it’s about friendship.

'Spanning several summer holidays, Jess and Joe Forever is an unusual coming of age tale that explores rural life and what it means to belong somewhere, if you can really belong anywhere.'

Source: Production blurb.

'Curious and passionate Rita is falling in love with hilariously pedantic Manfred. Together, they are fearless. East Germany is in generational turmoil: post-war trauma in conflict with youthful optimism.

'Utopias seem possible. Marxism! Socialism! Revolution! But the Cold War is underway and when Manfred’s professional ambitions are thwarted, he looks to the West. The Soviets put a man into space and a Wall is about the split the city. Will their love go the way of their beloved country, or will Rita’s idealism, and seemingly boundless capacity for sacrifice triumph?

'Christa Wolf was one of the most beloved German authors of her generation. Her first full-length novel They Divided the Sky was hailed at the time for its artistic achievement and excoriated for its “decadent” politics. This timely adaptation by Daniel Schlusser has been written for two of our finest young performers, Nikki Shiels and Alexander England.' (Production summary)