New Theatre

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New Theatre 542 King Street Newtown New Theatre was born from a democratic voice and from the very beginning we’ve done things our way. We’re driven by passion, not money.
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We’re not slick, we’re not refined and we don’t conform. We believe in artistic and social expression, not just escapism. When we take the stage, we’re for real. Our doors are open to everyone – from those looking for their start, to those who never want it to end. We’re a beacon for social movement; a hub for local enthusiasts. We’re not interested in awards or accolades, we act out of love. You can’t define us or second guess us. We won’t just invite you to take a seat, we invite you to take part. And we’ll always stay true to what we do. Always real. Always raw. Always New. "New Theatre's ability to showcase as well as nurture both mainstream and fringe elements of theatre is a rare gift to be treasured by the Australian arts community." - Inner West Courier

"New Theatre has an admirable tradition of staging plays that commercially focused companies wouldn't touch." - Time Out Sydney

In 2007, New Theatre was honoured by the National Institute of Dramatic Art for its contribution to the Australian Performing Arts and 75 years of continuous production. New Theatre is a non-professional theatre company and participation is on a voluntary basis. To become a member or to volunteer for our Front of House team, just visit the website NEWTHEATRE.ORG.AU

That's a wrap on the show for this week, but we are back next week from Thursday! And don't forget, Thursday's are thrif...
18/10/2026

That's a wrap on the show for this week, but we are back next week from Thursday! And don't forget, Thursday's are thrifty, and you can score a ticket for just $30!

📸 Bob Seary

Next to Godliness 🧼
by Alastair Brown
Directed by Madeleine Withington
New Theatre | 6 Oct - 31 Oct

https://newtheatre.org.au/next-to-godliness/

We aren't done with our Greek mythology primer! Next, it's Pandora, the first woman.When the Titan Prometheus stole fire...
17/10/2026

We aren't done with our Greek mythology primer! Next, it's Pandora, the first woman.

When the Titan Prometheus stole fire from the Gods to give to humankind, Zeus came up with a punishment that would balance the blessing of fire with an 'evil thing for men.' He tasked the blacksmith god Hephaestus with moulding a creature from earth and water. Athena blessed the creature with the art of needlework and weaving, Aphrodite blessed it with grace and longing, the Graces dressed it with gold, the Horae placed a floral garland upon its head, and finally Hermes gave it a mind of curiosity and voice of seduction. This creature was Pandora, the first woman.

Zeus presented her as a bride to Prometheus' brother Epimetheus. Her dowry was a beautiful jar and instructions to never open it. One day, out of deep curiosity, Pandora lifted the lid and out flew all the evils of the world; strife, toil, disease, misery... She managed to close the lid with one final thing trapped inside - hope.
Pandora is often portrayed as the being that brings about the downfall of the Golden Age of Man. In Hesiod's poem it is she that brings about the great evils that befall mankind, however in other tellings, such as Aesop's fables or Giulio Bonasone's etching, it is Epimetheus who opens the jar. In some tellings the jar is full of evils, in other it is full of blessings that fly up and away from humankind.

And yet none of these stories state that Pandora was used by Zeus. She was created and propelled into a role for his benefit: to punish mankind. But, it was not Pandora who stole from the Gods. It was not Pandora who made Zeus look a fool. But it is Pandora who carries the blame. Her curiosity and questioning nature are depicted as scheming and untrustworthy. Her curiosity may have led to evils being unleashed, but that's the thing with searching for answers; sometimes the knowledge we gain is uncomfortable, horrifying, desperately sad. Yet hope allows us to persevere through it.

Next to Godliness 🧼
by Alastair Brown
Directed by Madeleine Withington
New Theatre | 6 Oct - 31 Oct

https://newtheatre.org.au/next-to-godliness/

"You know a black comedy is onto a good thing when the audience starts rooting for the assassin." - Faith in TheatresWon...
16/10/2026

"You know a black comedy is onto a good thing when the audience starts rooting for the assassin." - Faith in Theatres

Wondering what to do this weekend? Why not take the ride 😉

📸 Bob Seary

Next to Godliness 🧼
by Alastair Brown
Directed by Madeleine Withington
New Theatre | 6 Oct - 31 Oct

https://newtheatre.org.au/next-to-godliness/

Wondering who is responsible for the iconic sartorial choices behind Next to Godliness? It's Lily Moody! Lily is a Sydne...
15/10/2026

Wondering who is responsible for the iconic sartorial choices behind Next to Godliness? It's Lily Moody!

Lily is a Sydney based, award nominated Costume Designer, who graduated from Whitehouse Institute of Design with a Bachelor of Fashion Design in 2021. In December 2025 Lily was nominated for a Sydney Theatre Award for her design work on Sport For Jove’s award-winning production ‘The Player Kings’.

Theatre Credits:
As Assistant Stage Manager: Macbeth (Sport For Jove); As You Like It (Sport For Jove)

As Costume Assistant: Labyrinth (Dream Plane Productions) Girl Band (New Ghosts Theatre Company); Othello (Sport For Jove); Macbeth (Sport For Jove); Timon of Athens (Sport For Jove); Nell Gwynn (SCEGGS)

As Costume Designer: Tough Ti***es 22 &23 (Queen Hades Production); The Government Inspector (Fingerless Theatre Company); Children of Elsinore (Old Barker Association); The Player Kings (Sport For Jove); Dangerous Liaisons (New Theatre); As You Like It (Fingerless Theatre Company); Dancing at Lughnasa (New Theatre); The Beautiful Future is Coming (Witches of Waterloo); The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Willougby Theatre Company)

As Production Manager: As You Like It (Fingerless Theatre Company)

Screen Credits:
As Costume Designer: An Ordered Collection of Figures (Frantic Muse Productions) and Centaur (Frantic Muse Productions)

As Production Designer: The Jeongs

She has also been working closely with children’s performer Emily Who to design and make a new costume.

Lily's favourite line? "You caught me doom scrolling"

Tickets for tonight's show are just $30, so book now!

📸 Bob Seary

Next to Godliness 🧼
by Alastair Brown
Directed by Madeleine Withington
New Theatre | 6 Oct - 31 Oct

https://newtheatre.org.au/next-to-godliness/

Want to see excerpts of this years shortlisted plays? You can book yourself a seat for free at the link in our bio, or b...
15/10/2026

Want to see excerpts of this years shortlisted plays? You can book yourself a seat for free at the link in our bio, or below!

https://shorturl.at/whV4i

Now in its twelfth year, the Silver Gull Play Award continues to grow, with a large number of entries received in 2026. Each script is assessed through several rounds, and writers’ identities remain anonymous until after the final decision has been made.

The standard was especially high this year, making the selection of five shortlisted plays a difficult one. Four more plays have been highly commended. All reflect New Theatre’s ethos of ‘Plays With a Purpose’, exploring subjects such as AI, religion and toxic masculinity alongside the human need for compassion, forgiveness and love.

The Silver Gull Play Award 2026 shortlist:

Christ is Back — Laurence Rosier Staines
Good With People — Ross Mueller
It’s Like That Time Your Sister Handcuffed You to the Stairway and Then Went to School — Josh Billig
Relations — Lawrence Parmenter
Thirty West of Heaven — Jack Kearney

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Creatures — Jess Zlotnick
Price — John Stone
The Guy in the Box — Alastair Brown
The Letter of Wishes — Armando Licul

Congratulations to the shortlisted writers, who will share a total prize pool of $7,000, courtesy of sponsor Joy Minter.

And thank you to our assessment panel; Louise Fischer ( Artistic Director NT), Helen Tonkin (Literary Manager/Curator NT/actor/director ), Annie Bilton (Director/Dramaturg/Playwright /Play Assessor NT), John Keightley (Actor/Play Assessor NT), Sahn Millington (Director/Play Assessor NT), Michael Briggs (Play Assessor NT), Doug Cairns (Play Assessor NT), Patrick Howard (Director/Theatre-maker/Arts On Tour Program Manager),
Victor Kalka (Director/Producer/Designer/Arts on Tour Program Manager), Joy Minter (Sponsor of the Silver Gull/Theatre Producer), Emily Weare (Actor/Theatre Educator), Eric Jiang (Writer), Patrick Holman (Actor/Writer), and Isabella Milkovitsch (Director/Producer)

Wonderfully imaginative? We're blushing. Make sure you grab your tickets soon, you don't want to miss this one!📸 Bob Sea...
14/10/2026

Wonderfully imaginative? We're blushing.

Make sure you grab your tickets soon, you don't want to miss this one!

📸 Bob Seary

Next to Godliness 🧼
by Alastair Brown
Directed by Madeleine Withington
New Theatre | 6 Oct - 31 Oct

https://newtheatre.org.au/next-to-godliness/

We are officially open, and off to a roaring start! ” … a testament to the script’s distinctive blend of dark humour and...
13/10/2026

We are officially open, and off to a roaring start!

” … a testament to the script’s distinctive blend of dark humour and social commentary. Brown’s script is witty yet hard-hitting. ”

Booked your tickets yet? Don't forget, Thursday's are thrifty, with $30 tickets!

📸 Bob Seary

Next to Godliness 🧼
by Alastair Brown
Directed by Madeleine Withington
New Theatre | 6 Oct - 31 Oct

https://newtheatre.org.au/next-to-godliness/

We were so busy getting ready for our opening night, we didn't get a chance to say CHOOKAS to the cast and crew of Next ...
09/10/2026

We were so busy getting ready for our opening night, we didn't get a chance to say CHOOKAS to the cast and crew of Next to Godliness! So, we're saying it now!

Think it looks like a fun night out? You're right... AND you can book at the link in our bio or below. Don't miss this world premiere!

📸 Bob Seary

Next to Godliness 🧼
by Alastair Brown
Directed by Madeleine Withington
New Theatre | 6 Oct - 31 Oct

https://newtheatre.org.au/next-to-godliness/

We know we've kept you waiting, but now,it's time to meet the playwright : Alastair Brown!"The original idea for Next to...
07/10/2026

We know we've kept you waiting, but now,it's time to meet the playwright : Alastair Brown!

"The original idea for Next to Godliness came from me asking my two closest friends what they would like me to include in a play if I were to write one for them. The only guideline they provided was shouting the word "crime!" at me like a pair of lunatics.

Since "crime" isn't quite enough to sustain an entire stage-play, I was forced to come up with some additional ideas for myself.

Over many drafts, readings, and more drafts the script grew into a deconstruction of modern perceptions of femininity, using the rich tapestry of Greek myth to bring depth and detail to the relevant themes, but it still was and will always be about the crime."

Alastair Brown is an award-winning playwright and sometime actor. He graduated from Flinders University Drama Centre in 2003 with an Honours Degree in Creative Arts and a chip on his shoulder.

As an actor: Detective Inspector Fry: Hangman (New Theatre)

As a Prose Writer: Remembrance in Skin (short story): Aurealis Sci-Fi & Fantasy Magazine (Issue #150)

Next to Godliness is Alastair's second full-length play, and it was the winner of the 2023 Silver Gull Play Award. His third full-length play, The Guy in the Box received a Highly Commended mention for the 2026 Silver Gull Play Award.

As a Screenwriter: Vector (short film): 2023. Winner of Best Shorts Competition, semi-finalist for Filmhaus Short Film Festival.

His favourite line? "The eggs are golden. The goose is just a goose."

Next to Godliness 🧼
by Alastair Brown
Directed by Madeleine Withington
New Theatre | 6 Oct - 31 Oct

https://newtheatre.org.au/next-to-godliness/

Tonight is the first preview of this world premiere! You're running out of time to use your early bird code, WORM26, so ...
06/10/2026

Tonight is the first preview of this world premiere! You're running out of time to use your early bird code, WORM26, so make sure you book today!

📸.callow

Next to Godliness 🧼
by Alastair Brown
Directed by Madeleine Withington
New Theatre | 6 Oct - 31 Oct

Address

542 King Street
Newtown, NSW
2042

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4pm
Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
6:30pm - 10:30pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
6:30pm - 10:30pm
Saturday 6:30pm - 10:30pm
Sunday 4pm - 8pm

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