Theatre shows worth seeing in Canberra this month (and next)
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From Shakespearean tragedy to psychological thrillers, Canberra’s theatre scene is serving up something for everyone this August and September.
Whether you’re after a gripping page-to-stage adaptation, an intimate cabaret evening or a school production tackling climate change, here are 10 local shows worth booking in for.
The Winter’s Tale Youth Production
Experience Shakespeare’s classic story of jealousy, loss, and miraculous redemption in a dynamic production staged by young local performers. Directed by Heidi Silberman with verse coaching from Lakespeare & Co. co-founder Lexi Sekuless, this 80-minute performance brings UK drama-school text rigour to the local stage. Spanning two kingdoms and sixteen years, the narrative moves from tragic paranoia to pastoral romance, complete with disguises, young love, and theatre’s most famous stage direction: “Exit, pursued by a bear.”
Wednesday 5 until Saturday 15 August | Mill Theatre at Dairy Road, Building 3.3, 1 Dairy Road, Fyshwick | milltheatreatdairyroad.com
The Girl on the Train
Mockingbird Theatre Company presents the Canberra premiere of the stage thriller The Girl on the Train, adapted from Paula Hawkins’ best-selling novel and the hit DreamWorks film. Directed and designed by Chris Baldock, this psychological drama follows Rachel Watson, who becomes entangled in a dangerous missing-persons mystery involving a couple she observes daily from her commute. Featuring a strong local cast, this gripping 140-minute production delivers twists, secrets, and high-stakes tension in the intimate Mockingbird Studio at Belconnen Arts Centre.
Wednesday 5 until Saturday 22 August, 7.30 pm (Matinees 2 pm) | The Mockingbird Studio, Belconnen Arts Centre, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen | belcoarts.com.au
Hibernation
Experience thought-provoking local theatre as Narrabundah College Performing Arts presents Finegan Kruckemeyer’s captivating play, Hibernation. Set in the year 2030 amidst an escalating global climate crisis, world leaders enact a radical solution: plunging the entire human population into a synchronised one-year sleep to allow nature to restore itself. When humanity awakens, however, the consequences prove far different than imagined. Performed by talented student actors at the Hawk Theatre, this compelling production explores environmental responsibility, human resilience, and ethical dilemmas. Gather theatre lovers for an engaging evening of speculative drama that will spark conversation long after curtain call.
Thursday 6 until Saturday 8 August | Hawk Theatre, Narrabundah College, Jerrabomberra Avenue, Narrabundah | events.humanitix.com
Diamond
Liz Lea presents Diamond, a one-woman show blending contemporary dance, song, cabaret, and burlesque, in its world premiere season at The Q. Inspired by the enduring strength and many facets of a diamond, the work reflects on the experience of ageing, exploring the resilience, courage, and beauty of women through movement, humour, and heartfelt transformation. The second in a trilogy – following RED, which toured internationally for five years – Diamond sees Lea joined by special guests in this season presented by Q the Locals. Auslan interpretation is available for Saturday performances; audio description for Friday and Saturday.
Thursday 6 until Saturday 8 August | The Q, Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre | theq.net.au/whats-on/diamond
Love and Forgetting – Tales From A Young Mixer
Step into the intimate surrounds of Ambrosia Lounge as the Rare Bird ensemble blends theatre, live jazz, and cabaret storytelling. Set in a lively bar setting, Love and Forgetting follows the captivating tales of a young bartender navigating longing, reinvention, and human connection. Guests can enjoy finely crafted cocktails while being transported from the banks of the Murrumbidgee to Manhattan through charming music and witty dialogue. Blurring the boundaries between performer and audience, the production offers a warm, immersive evening that celebrates the memories and stories that shape us. Gather your friends for an unforgettable night of music and storytelling.
Friday 7 until Sunday 9 August | Ambrosia Lounge, Building 2, 1 Dairy Road, Fyshwick | milltheatreatdairyroad.com
The Glass Menagerie
Step into a beautifully fragile world of memory and illusion with Canberra REP’s latest theatrical production, The Glass Menagerie. Directed by Geoffrey Borny, this amateur production of Tennessee Williams’ classic masterpiece trades grit for magic, using wryly humorous memories, music, and striking visual effects to underscore the narrative. Set during the late 1930s Great Depression, the story follows Tom’s guilt-ridden reflections on his family: his mother Amanda who lives vitally in a romanticised past, his sister Laura who retreats into a comforting world of miniature glass animals, and the sudden arrival of a hopeful gentleman caller. It stands as a moving tribute to the survival mechanisms and fragile illusions we build just to give life meaning.
Until Saturday, 8 August | Canberra REP Theatre, Acton | canberrarep.org.au
I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change
Free-Rain Theatre Company brings the second-longest-running Off-Broadway musical revue to Kingston’s ACT Hub. I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change takes a hilarious, honest look at the modern dating landscape, tackling everything from awkward first encounters and wedding stress to family road trips and senior dating. Performed by a cast of six playing 58 distinct characters, this updated version features catchy songs and relatable vignettes that celebrate romantic chaos in all its messy glory.
Wednesday 19 August until Saturday 5 September | ACT Hub, Causeway Hall, 14 Spinifex Street, Kingston | freeraintheatre.com
Saplings
Winner of the Sydney Theatre Award for Best Production for Young People, Saplings brings a collection of raw, funny, and heartbreaking stories to Queanbeyan. Written by Yuwaalaray playwright Hannah Belanszky and directed by Kalkadoon director Abbie-lee Lewis, the play reflects the lived experiences of youth navigating the justice system. Four actors take on multiple roles against a soundtrack of original rap and hip-hop tracks created by young people. Through poetry and humour, the 80-minute performance examines survival instincts, vulnerability, and systemic challenges facing youth today. Secure tickets for an impactful day or evening performance at The Q.
Saturday 22 August, 2 pm and 7.30 pm | The Q, 253 Crawford Street, Queanbeyan | theq.net.au
Bombshells
Joanna Murray-Smith’s acclaimed play Bombshells takes the stage at The Q, stripping back social masks to reveal five women balancing internal chaos with external composure. Moving from crisis to hilarity, the production delivers five distinct monologues featuring a nervous bride, an exhausted mother, a broken-hearted cactus lover, a widow, and a feisty teenager. Unlike traditional one-woman stagings, this production casts five separate actors, bringing unique vulnerability and depth to each character’s story. Relatable and fiercely honest, it provides a night of pure storytelling, comedy, and connection for theatre lovers.
Thursday 27 until Saturday 29 August, 2 pm and 7.30 pm | The Q, 253 Crawford Street, Queanbeyan | theq.net.au
Disney’s Frozen
Free-Rain Theatre Company presents Disney’s Frozen, The Broadway Musical at The Q. Based on the animated film, the production features songs by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, including Let It Go, Do You Want to Build a Snowman? and Love Is an Open Door, alongside additional numbers written for the stage. The musical follows sisters Princess Anna and Queen Elsa of Arendelle, tracing Anna’s journey with Kristoff and Olaf to break the endless winter caused by Elsa’s hidden powers and restore their kingdom. The season runs across five weeks with a local cast and creative team, incorporating costume and stagecraft elements suited to the story’s setting.
Tuesday 15 September – Sunday 11 October, various times | The Q, 253 Crawford St, Queanbeyan | theq.net.au/whats-on/disneys-frozen
Pride and Prejudice (*sort of)
Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of), a retelling of Jane Austen’s novel performed by an all-female cast of five, opens at the Canberra Theatre for its Australian premiere season. Originally directed by Isobel McArthur, the West End production won the Olivier Award for Best Comedy and reworks Austen’s story of love, class and family expectation through a mix of dialogue and pop songs, including Young Hearts Run Free, Will You Love Me Tomorrow and You’re So Vain. The cast includes Amy Lehpamer, Zoe Ioannou, Kaori Maeda-Judge, Ruby Shannon and Teo Vergara.
Wednesday 16 – Sunday 27 September, various times | Canberra Theatre, Civic Square, London Circuit, Canberra | canberratheatrecentre.com.au
Strong is the New Pretty
Strong is the New Pretty, written by Suzie Miller and directed by Sarah Giles, receives its world premiere at The Playhouse. A Brisbane Festival, Sydney Theatre Company and Trish Wadley Productions co-production, the play traces the formation of the AFLW, from a 2010 report recommending a national women’s league through to the competition’s launch seven years later. The docudrama draws on real events and voices from the sport, presented by a cast of eight including Lucy Bell, Amy Ingram and Tara Morice. Miller is also known for RBG: Of Many, One and Prima Facie. The season runs for three performances, with mature themes, coarse language, haze and strobe effects noted.
Thursday 24 – Saturday 26 September, various times | The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre, Civic Square, London Circuit, Canberra | canberratheatrecentre.com.au
Peter and the Starcatcher
Peter and the Starcatcher upends the familiar story of how an orphan becomes Peter Pan. A young orphan and his companions are shipped from Victorian England to an island ruled by King Zarboff, unaware that a trunk in the captain’s cabin holds an otherworldly cargo. At sea, they are discovered by Molly, a Starcatcher-in-training, who identifies the cargo as starstuff, a celestial substance that must not fall into the wrong hands. When pirates led by Black Stache seize the ship intent on claiming the trunk, the story follows greed, despair and the bonds of friendship, duty and love. The Tony-winning production blends comedy, adventure and theatrical invention.
Thursday 24 and Friday 25 September, 6.30–9.30 pm | Murranji Theatre, 51 Murranji Street, Hawker | trybooking.com
Feature image of Maliyan Blair in Saplings, ATYP by Daniel Boud.
