Cirrus@Austlit

'Carol’s got Christmas running through her veins. Born on the 25th of December, it’s not just a date to her − it’s a bloody big deal. For decades, she’s been the one wrapping the presents, dishing out the pav, and holding the whole Christmas shebang together.

'This year, however, nothing is jolly. Life’s thrown her a curveball, and 60-year-old Carol’s Christmas cheer is hanging by a thread. With wind whistling through her car windows, late-night talk-back her only company, and council move-on notices stacking up, tinsel and turkey are seemingly ghosts of Christmas past. But even as things fall apart, she's not ready to let Christmas go − not without a fight.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Jacq and Kas’s boutique restaurant has gone bust. Tonight, they’re hosting their oldest friends for one final dinner to break the news that their investment is now toast.

'And that’s just the start of their evening…

'Cash, class, identity, and infidelity are all on the menu. As the last of the expensive wine flows, a dangerous drinking game sparks confessions and provokes an unspeakable dare that could forever change the dynamics of the group.'

Source: Production blurb.

'Set at the glorious Bold Park Aquatic Centre, The Pool invites you to immerse yourself in an intimate experience as you eavesdrop on the conversations of ordinary everyday people through a personal headset. 

'A mother tries to connect with her adult daughter. 

'A man continues his rehabilitation to strengthen his knee. 

'Two teenagers find privacy in a lie to their parents. 

'Bombies in the deep end while the lifeguard isn’t looking, water aerobics classes, hot chips and choc milk, The Pool is an exploration of life as we know it and a celebration of our public spaces that create community. It is a delightfully voyeuristic experience, raw and relatable in every way.'

Source: Production blurb.

'Blurring the lines between truth and fiction, journey through the past, present, real and absurd, as two big-hearted ‘losers’ carve out a place for themselves in a new world.

'Sisters, Mary and Martha, must leave their humble abode. Food is scarce, bills haven’t been paid, and nature is giving them an ultimatum. But there’s a problem - they can’t seem to get it together to do what needs to be done. What’s more, they’re not even sure who they are, which is which and where they should go. They search through memories, familiar rituals and endless cups of tea, looking for something that will shake them from their predicament before it’s too late.'

Source: Black Swan Theatre Company.

'Getting older is inevitable, but growing up takes courage.

'When Mark moved out of home for the first time his mum started writing him letters – just checking in, staying in touch, keeping a gentle hold on her son. Until one letter brings news no-one wants to hear.

'Today, alone in his apartment, on a quiet ordinary morning, Mark needs to try to make some sense of the path of his young life. He needs to work out how to go on with the day, his studies, the fragility of living. He needs us to hear his story, and the story of his family.

'A tender, exquisite monologue written and performed by a rising star, Thomas Weatherall, Blue takes us deep into the beauty, and sadness, of a young life at its new beginning.'

Source: Belvoir Street Theatre.

'This is the story of one woman who changed the face of the American legal system.

'Spanning her life from teenage years to her death in 2020, RBG: Of Many, One brings Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s fascinating life vividly to the stage. The second woman to be appointed to the US Supreme Court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg was both a trailblazer in the American legal system and a fierce advocate for gender equality and reproductive rights. RBG: Of Many, One chronicles her wins and dissents; the steps forward, the steps back. It reveals a woman of intellect, courage, determination and feeling; the personal behind the political.

'Award-winning Australian playwright and lawyer, Suzie Miller, continues her interrogation of complex human stories and injustice with this vibrant theatrical portrait of one of the iconic leaders of our time.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'From the mind-bending, award-winning comedian who brought us ABC’s Choose Your Own Adventure, Unbelievable, and the feature film Sucker, Lawrence Leung has devised an ingenious new cocktail of hilarious stunts, immersive experiments, and real-life Jedi mind tricks.

'This live, online performance takes place on two sides of a screen – Lawrence’s and yours. Performed over Zoom, this unique interactive comedy gives you the best seats in the house – that is, in your house.

'Viewers will be guided through mini- experiences where the idea of ‘connection’ is explored in increasingly awesome and wicked ways. Can participants read each other’s minds through a screen? Will complete strangers discover remarkable coincidences? Are we all connected?

'All you need is an internet connection, a device, and your favourite chair.'

Source: Black Swan Theatre Company.

'The Castle meets The Club in this original family drama that asks us: what are we willing to sacrifice for the great game?

'Doug Williams is the greatest footballer Donnybrook has ever seen. Hard as flint. Salt of the earth.

'Delveen, his wife, has been by his side for years, through head knock after head knock.

'The club want to honour Doug with a lifetime achievement award, so the kids are all flying home to join the celebration. But the sure hands of this once great player are starting to fumble the ball.

'Barracking for the Umpire tackles blokes and their vulnerability, the fragility of the human body, and the impacts of brain injury on ourselves, our family, and our community. This story will resonate with every AFL fan, player, and parent.'

Source: Black Swan Theatre Company.

'Challenging, joyful and deeply affecting, Jurrungu Ngan-ga confronts Australia’s shameful fixation with incarceration in a powerful and provocative new dance work. Inspired by perspectives on incarceration, Jurrungu Ngan-ga reflects on the disgraceful disproportion of Indigenous Australians in custody and first-hand descriptions of life inside Australia’s immigration detention centres. Searing truths blend with dark humour, fear, sadness and courage to shine a light on new ways to resist and to empower us all to rewrite our future – together.' (Production summary)

'Alone in the goalsquare. About to seal the premiership. What could go wrong?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'A renowned musician follows his passion for song to a country far from the land of his birth.'

Source: Black Swan State Theatre Company of Western Australia.

'A courageous doctor risks all, to shine a light on the right to choose.'

Source: Black Swan State Theatre Company of Western Australia.

'Carmela Caterina Tassone is a woman that places aren’t named after. Her name has never made newspaper headlines. You will never have heard of her. This is the story of her nondescript existence.'

Source: Black Swan Theatre Company of Western Australia.

'From the stages of Subiaco to international acclaim, Effie Fellows. She wowed audiences around the world with her male impersonation act.'

Source: Black Swan State Theatre Company of Western Australia.

'She’s strong, she’s smart, she has a wicked sense of humour. Her story of survival has changed the law.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Madame Ranevskaya is fresh out of love and money. After a failed romance, she returns to the family farm in Manjimup. Faced with impending bankruptcy, the vast and beautiful cherry orchard is soon to be auctioned off against her mounting debts. It’s time to call in the family.

'The Cherry Orchard is Anton Chekhov’s last great masterpiece and this new one-act adaptation by Adriane Daff and Katherine Tonkin, directed by Clare Watson, revels in the comedy of inevitable catastrophes. Overflowing with charm, a touch of the 1980s and a self-absorbed ensemble of Kath-and-Kim characters. This spirited adaptation looks at those who become victims of their own privilege.'

Source: Black Swan Theatre Company.

'A tree-changing couple try to make an old building a home. A pack of Cub Scouts on summer camp are terrorised by a ghostly matron. A returned soldier seeks aid for his sick son. An unjust trial sentences two Nyoongar men to death.

'Set in and around a single old abandoned hospital, York moves through time to uncover the buried histories we have built over. Traversing four different eras, this daring new work sheds light on how our stories are told – and who tells them.

'Inspired by 200 years of real accounts, York is a collaboration by Ian Michael and Chris Isaacs.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Manor Farm is in a state of rebellion as a gang of pigs unite to overthrow their cruel human oppressor.

'Written in the 1940s by George Orwell as a response to the rise of authoritarian governments, Animal Farm is a timeless examination of extremist rule. This new adaptation continues to caution with the universal message that power can corrupt – and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

'Adapted by political powerhouse Van Badham (Banging Denmark, Q&A, The Drum and writer at The Guardian), this high-octane three-hander features a cast of stellar comedians, improvisers and storytellers. They bring to life a farmyard of characters including the hardworking Boxer and power-hungry Napoleon. This is a biting political satire that will make you grunt.'

Source: Black Swan Theatre Company.

'Hey d*#kface,

'I know where to find a dead kangaroo. There’s one in the bush near my house. Want to see it? I’m going tonight. Sneaking out my window. Unless you’re scared. Are you scared? Are you nervous? No? Meet me at the fallen tree.

'Lucy and Arnold are 13. Both outcasts. Both have seen hard times. Both irrevocably changed from one adventure into the bush looking for a dying kangaroo. Now they must navigate a wasteland of broken hearts, peed pants and carrot spew. It’s homework, hormones and homicide.

'A hit of The Blue Room Theatre 2019 season, this modern suburban coming-of-age story explores how we hurt each other, how we help those that are hurting, and how your music taste is never better than when you’re a teenager.'

Source: Black Swan State Theatre Company.

'To win, you just need to believe in the rules. And Tessa loves to win, even when defending clients accused of sexual assault. Her court-ordained duty trumps her feminism. But when she finds herself on the other side of the bar, Tessa is forced into the shadows of doubt she’s so ruthlessly cast over other women.

'Winner of the 2018 Griffin Award, Prima Facie is an indictment of the Australian legal system’s failure to provide reliable pathways to justice for women in rape, sexual assault or harassment cases. It’s a work of fiction, but one that could have been ripped from the headlines of any paper, any day of the week, so common you could cry.

'Turning Sydney’s courts of law into a different kind of stage, Suzie Miller’s (Sunset Strip, Caress/Ache) taut, rapid-fire and gripping one-woman show exposes the shortcomings of a patriarchal justice system where it’s her word against his.

'Maybe we need a new system.'

Source: Griffin Theatre Company.