Sydney Theatre Company 2025 Season

Image: Picnic at Hanging Rock - Kirsty Marillier and Olivia de Jonge. Photographer: Derek Henderson

Outgoing STC Artistic Director Kip Williams has announced Sydney Theatre Company’s 2025 program, his eighth and final season with the company.

Williams said, “It is with immense pride that I share this final season of theatre with you. Australian stories have always been at the centre of my programming at STC, and I’m thrilled that of the twelve shows in the 2025 Season, eight of them are by Australian writers.

“Of these, two new STC commissions that I’m particularly proud to be announcing are STC Patrick White Fellow Joanna Murray-Smith’s return to the engrossing world of Patricia Highsmith with a brand-new adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley and, following her sublime adaptations of Ruth Park’s The Harp in the South and Playing Beatie Bow, Kate Mulvany will bring to life another beloved Australian classic, The Shiralee by D’Arcy Niland.

Image: The Talented Mr. Ripley - Will McDonald. Photographer: Derek Henderson

“From brand new Australian writing and the best contemporary international plays, to thrilling reinterpretations of classics and the return of some of our most-loved productions of recent years, this is a season for lovers of theatre.

“I am so thankful for the opportunity to program and present eight seasons of theatre in my time as Artistic Director. This is by no means the end of my connection with this Company that I love so much, but for now, please accept my heartfelt gratitude for this special time we have shared in the theatre together.” 

STC 2025 Season highlights:

• Following the Julia and Switzerland, STC Patrick White Fellow Joanna Murray-Smith reunites with former STC Resident Director Sarah Goodes to return to the engrossing world of Patricia Highsmith with an iadaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley starring Will McDonald (Heartbreak High)

• After her adaptations of Ruth Park’s The Harp in the South and Playing Beatie Bow, Kate Mulvany will bring to life another beloved Australian classic, The Shiralee by D’Arcy Niland

Image: The Shiralee - Ziggy Resnick, Kate Mulvany, Josh McConville and Aaron Pedersen. Photographer: Derek Henderson

• STC Resident Director Ian Michael will delve into the mystery and majesty of Tom Wright’s adaptation of Joan Lindsay’s Picnic at Hanging Rock starring Olivia De Jonge and Kirsty Marillier

• For the first time in twenty years, the Australian stage’s national treasure Nancye Hayes will return to STC in Amy Herzog’s heartwarming and poignant, 4000 Miles directed by STC Resident Director Kenneth Moraleda

Image: 4000 Miles - Shiv Palekar and Nancye Hayes. Photographer: Derek Henderson

• Dean Bryant will direct Rebecca Gibney, making her STC debut in Circle Mirror Transformation by Pulitzer Prize-winner, Annie Baker

• Melbourne Theatre Company's musical Bloom comes to Sydney, with book and lyrics by Working Dog’s Tom Gleisner, music by Katie Weston and direction from Dean Bryant

• Congratulations, Get Rich! by Merlynn Tong, a three-way co-production with Brisbane’s La Boite Theatre and Singapore Repertory Theatre, directed by former STC Resident Artist Courtney Stewart, is a story about mothers and daughters set in a karaoke bar

• Kat Stewart makes her STC debut alongside her husband David Whiteley in the Red Stitch production of Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, directed by Sarah Goodes

Image: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf - Kat Stewart. Photographer: Eugene Hyland

• A collaboration between lighting designer Nick Schlieper (The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dracula) and director and actor Pamela Rabe will see Samuel Beckett’s Happy Days receive a uniquely creative reinvigoration

• Continuing their relationship with Griffin Theatre Company, STC will present the exquisite and profound Whitefella Yella Tree by Palawa writer Dylan Van Den Berg, co-directed by Griffin’s Artistic Director Declan Greene and Wiradjuri and Worimi theatremaker, Amy Sole

• Two of STC’s most successful productions in recent years return for encore seasons: Verity Laughton’s adaptation of Pip Williams’ best-selling novel The Dictionary of Lost Words; and Heather Mitchell is back again due to popular demand in her now legendary performance in Suzie Miller’s RBG: Of Many, One, directed by Priscilla Jackman

https://www.sydneytheatre.com.au/

4000 MILES
By Amy Herzog
Director Kenneth Moraleda
With Nancye Hayes, Shiv Palekar, Shirong Wu
3 FEB – 23 MAR 2025
Wharf 1 Theatre

PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK 
A play by Tom Wright Adapted from the novel by Joan Lindsay 
Director Ian Michael 
With Olivia De Jonge, Kirsty Marillier, Lorinda Merrypor, Masego Pitso 
17 FEB – 5 APR 2025 
Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House 

THE DICTIONARY OF LOST WORDS 
Adapted by Verity Laughton from the novel by Pip Williams 
Director Jessica Arthur 
With Arkia Ashraf, Rachel Burke, Ksenja Logos, Shannen Alyce Quan 
1 – 22 MAR 2025 
Roslyn Packer Theatre

Image: Bloom - Mandy McElhinney, John Waters, Evelyn Krape and Slone Sudiro. Photographer: Derek Henderson

BLOOM 
Music by Katie Weston and Lyrics by Tom Gleisner 
Book by Tom Gleisner 
Director Dean Bryant 
With Evelyn Krape, Vidya Makan, Mandy McElhinney, Maria Mercedes, Eddie Muliaumaseali’I, John O’May, Christina O’Neill, Jackie Rees, Slone Sudiro, John Waters 
29 MAR – 11 MAY 2025 
Roslyn Packer Theatre 

RBG: OF MANY, ONE 
By Suzie Miller 
Director Priscilla Jackman 
With Heather Mitchell 
11 Apr – 17 May 2025 
Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House 

Image: Happy Days- Pamela Rabe. Photographer: Rene Vaile

HAPPY DAYS
By Samuel Beckett 
Conceived and Directed by Nick Schlieper & Pamela Rabe 
With Pamela Rabe 
5 MAY– 29 JUN 2025 
Wharf 1 Theatre 

CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION
By Annie Baker 
Director Dean Bryant 
With Ahunim Abebe, Nicholas Brown, Rebecca Gibney 
12 JUL – 7 SEP 2025 
Wharf 1 Theatre 

THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY
By Patricia Highsmith Adapted for the stage by Joanna Murray-Smith
Director Sarah Goodes 
With Will McDonald, Andrew McFarlane 
19 AUG – 28 SEP 2025 
Roslyn Packer Theatre 

Image: Whitefella Yella Tree - Joseph Althouse. Photographer: Derek Henderson

WHITEFELLA YELLA TREE
By Dylan Van Den Berg 
Directors Declan Greene & Amy Sole 
With Joseph Althouse
19 SEP – 18 OCT 2025
Wharf 1 Theatre

THE SHIRALEE
By D’Arcy Niland Adapted for the stage by Kate Mulvany 
Director Jessica Arthur Dramaturg Kip Williams 
With Josh McConville, Kate Mulvany, Aaron Pedersen, Ziggy Resnick 
6 OCT – 22 NOV 2025 
Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House 

EDWARD ALBEE’S WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? 
Director Sarah Goodes 
With Emily Goddard, Kat Stewart, David Whiteley, Harvey Zielinski 
7 NOV – 14 DEC 2025 
Roslyn Packer Theatre

Image: Congratulations, Get Rich! - Merlynn Tong & Kimie Tsukakoshi. Photographer: Derek Henderson

CONGRATULATIONS, GET RICH! (恭喜发财, 人日快乐) 
By Merlynn Tong 
Director Courtney Stewart 
With Seong Hui Xuan, Merlynn Tong, Kimie Tsukakoshi 
21 NOV – 14 DEC 2025 
Wharf 1 Theatre 

https://www.sydneytheatre.com.au/