Sydney’s New Theatre’s 2017 season

Presented in association with the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival The Little Dog Laughed by Douglas Carter-Beane, directed by Alice Livingstone. February – 4 March.

Mitchell is an actor, a rising star and firmly in the closet. Diane is his wildly ambitious, take-no-prisoners agent and awards-night beard. Alex and his girlfriend Ellen are two young hustlers on the make.

Late one night, on a business trip to New York, Mitch calls for a rent boy and Alex turns up. Two worlds and four lives collide. Within days, Mitch is declaring he’s in love and planning to ‘come out’ while Diane is desperately trying to prevent him committing what she sees as career suicide.

A tale of sexual ambiguity and immoral values, this modern comedy of manners is both a scathing attack on Hollywood stereotypes and double standards and a bitingly funny yet moving portrayal of people yearning to connect.

Australian Premiere Consensual by Evan Placey Directed by Johann Walraven. 14 March – 15 April.

As Head of Year 11, Diane is meant to be implementing the new 'Healthy Relationships' curriculum. She’s responsible for guiding these impressionable teenagers through the minefield that is ‘sex education’.

Then Freddie arrives. She hasn't seen him since that night six years earlier when he was fifteen. She thinks he took advantage of her. He thinks that she groomed him for months. Neither is sure. But when it comes to sex and consent, how far can you blur the lines?

An explosive and thought-provoking play from one of Britain’s most exciting new voices, exploring what happens when buried secrets catch up with you.

The Chapel Perilous by Dorothy Hewett Directed by Carissa Licciardello 25 April – 27 May.

This iconic masterpiece of Australian theatre charts the painful and sometimes farcical life of a defiant young poet, Sally Banner, as she searches for love, sex, adoration and artistic freedom.

Set against a background of Australia’s changing social and cultural landscape, we follow Sally’s coming-of-age and subsequent brutal disillusionment as a communist, feminist, bohemian, wife, mother and writer.

At the heart of the play is Sally’s journey from rebellious schoolgirl to independent adult, whilst battling the conservative forces that want to stifle her ambitions.

Hewett’s semi-autobiographical play is a mix of poetry, vaudeville, musical theatre and panoramic social realism: ground-breaking, gutsy, confronting and hugely entertaining.

Sydney Premiere The Clean House by Sarah Ruhl Directed by Fiona Hallenan-Barker 6 June – 8 July.

Lane values order in every aspect of her life. Her live-in maid Matilde hates cleaning and yearns to be a stand-up comedian. Lane’s depressed sister Virginia finds solace in cleaning and secretly takes over Matilde’s duties.

hen Lane’s husband, a surgeon, falls in love with a terminally-ill patient, everything that was clean and tidy for Lane - her house, her emotions, her relationships - is thrown into disarray, and Matilde must come to her rescue.

Blending magic-realism and oddball humour with wisdom and compassion, this romantic comedy about sex, death and dusting proves that the best things in life are infinitely worth waiting for and that shared laughter can heal almost anything. Ultimately it is a celebration of the solidarity, practicality and emotional resilience of women.

After The Dance by Terence Rattigan Directed by Giles Gartrell-Mills 8 August – 9 September.

David Scott-Fowler is a would-be historian, suffering writer’s block and mired in an alcoholic haze, his self-destructive lifestyle ruining his marriage. When he falls into a relationship with the much-younger Helen, an idealist who is determined to ‘save’ him, events take on a tragic turn.

A searing study of a lost generation, Rattigan’s play, written in 1939, investigates the young people who survived World War One, lived life to the full in the hedonistic 1920s, only to find themselves in middle-age, disillusioned and on the brink of another war.

Sydney Premiere Birldand by Simon Stephens Directed by Anthony Skuse 3 October – 4 November.

Paul is a rock god. Everybody knows his face, his name. He can have whatever he wants. But as his latest European tour grinds to its end, the mega-fame and limitless money that go hand-in-hand with rock stardom are messing with his head, the pressure is starting to get to him and Paul is set to implode at any moment.

A sexy and revealing exploration of fame and celebrity, from the award-winning author of Punk Rock and the stage adaptation of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Australia Day by Jonathan Biggins Directed by Louise Fischer 14 November – 16 December.

In the fictional NSW town of Coriole, preparations are underway for the annual Australia Day celebrations and the organising committee is hashing out the details amidst disagreements over politics, patriotism and progress.

Whether it’s angst over a new development, the best snags to serve at a multi-cultural barbie, or the looming spectre of racism, throughout runs the theme of self-censorship: at what point do you abandon the politically-correct stance and say what you really think.

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New Theatre is teaming up with children’s show producer Em’s Entertainment to present two shows in January: Wombat’s Wild Weekend and The Dinosaur Show. Both shows are ideal for 1 – 7 year olds.

Wombat’s Wild Weekend

Wombat from the ‘Big Smoke’ goes on an Aussie outback adventure, only to run into a sneaky Bower Bird who seems intent on ruining his weekend getaway by stealing all his socks! Join Wombat and his new-found friends: Koala, Kookaburra, Dingo and Joey the Kangaroo as they band together to stop the pesky thief. Written by Wayne Tunks, directed by Emma Louise, performed by Shondelle Pratt Season: 9 – 14 January, performances: Mon – Fri 10:30 am; Sat 10:30 am & 1 pm/ Tickets: $18 / $65 family pass (4 people) . Bookings: www.newtheatre.org.au

The Dinosaur Show

apejara the Pterosaur (‘Tappy’) is on a mission to find out who is stealing the dinosaur eggs. To solve the mystery, Tappy enlists the help of his friends: Nina, the dancing dinosaur; Diploducs the life-saver (because we all know that dinosaurs can’t swim); T-Rex and Spinosaurus, the hilarious squabbling puppets; Struthimomius, the fastest dinosaur of them all; Supersaurus, a big show-off who really gets the audience rocking; Triceretops, a cool, laid-back blues singer; and the sneaky menace, Cylophesis. Written by Julie Zommers, directed by Emma Louise, performed by Clare Wall Season: 16 – 21 January, performances: Mon – Fri 10:30 am; Sat 10:30 am & 1 pm/ Tickets: $18 / $65 family pass (4 people) . Bookings: www.newtheatre.org.au

With a running time of 40 minutes, both these shows are created with a young audience in mind: engaging, interactive, and filled with songs, music, movement and humour.

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