Sydney’s New Theatre has announced the second half of its 2023 season.

Off the Record

A finalist for the 2021 Silver Gull Play Award, this sharply observed dramedy seeks to examine how we can empower ourselves in the face of systematic corruption and investigates the mechanics of accountability.

Off the Record by Sydney writer Chris Aronsten and directed by Jess Davis, plays 11 July – 5 August. Full details and bookings here.

A Very Expensive Poison

Winner of the 2020 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, the play deep-dives into the terrifying world of the new Cold War with a dazzling mix of vaudeville, thriller, romance and tragedy, taking a true story and weaving it into a complex tale of espionage and mystery.

A Very Expensive Poison written by Lucy Prebble and directed by Margaret Thanos, plays 15 August – 16 September. Full details and bookings here.

Loot

Orton’s blistering black comedy eviscerates the hypocrisies of church, state and social niceties, the farce bouncing wildly between the ordinary and the outrageous. Coming after the success of Entertaining Mr Sloane, it confirmed him as one of the most daring and original voices of his generation.

Loot, written by Joe Orton and directed by Johann Walraven, plays 10 October – 4 November. Full details and bookings here.

The Ballad of Maria Marten

Rather than a literal retelling of the historic 19th century ‘true crime’ known as The Red Barn Murder, the play is a feminist reappraisal that focuses on Maria’s life, and celebrates the solidarity of female friendship through a story-telling, dance and laughter.

The Ballad of Maria Marten, written by Beth Flintoff and directed by Louise Fischer, plays 14 November – 16 December. Full details and bookings here.