Our company’s name ‘Merrigong’ reflects the Dharawal word for the Illawarra region’s distinctive escarpment, a landmark of supreme cultural importance. This name serves as a constant reminder that our venues rest on unceded First Nations land.
In all that we do, Merrigong Theatre Company seeks to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land, seas and skies, and to show respect to all First Nations people who call our region home.
3
3 blockbuster theatre events
that have sold out across the country and are coming to us for strictly limited, two-week seasons – Trent Dalton’s Love Stories, Justine Clarke as Julia Gillard in Julia, and the stunning stage adaptation of the best-selling book The Dictionary of Lost Words
6
6 of our nation’s leading performing arts companies
returning to Wollongong, with shows from Sydney Theatre Company, Belvoir St Theatre, State Theatre Company of South Australia, Circa, and after long absences from our stage, Bangarra Dance Theatre and Bell Shakespeare.
2
2 incredible shows from local artists
Joshua Hinton’s A Place in the Sultan’s Kitchen (or How to Make the Perfect One-Pot Chicken Curry), and the latest work from our very own Strangeway’s Ensemble, The Seven.
1
1 international theatre gem
with New Zealand company Nightsong’s madcap marvel, Mr Red Light
Together with a wonderful array of MERRIGONGX shows, and a range of theatre delights for kids and families,
In 2025, we’re proud to bring you Merrigong’s biggest theatre season ever, which includes... this adds up to
an unmissable year of theatre.
Simon Hinton Artistic Director / CEO
Penny Watts
Program Manager
Leland Kean
Artistic Development Manager
‘A feast of cultural richness and groundbreaking innovation. It’s one of the best things on Australian dance stages this year.’
Photo by Daniel Boud
A Bangarra Dance Theatre production
The Light Inside
Choreographed by Deborah Brown and Moss Te Ururangi Patterson with Bangarra Dance Theatre Dancers
Explore the cultural forces that bind us together, across oceans and eons.
World-renowned, and a leader in Australian performing arts, Bangarra Dance Theatre returns to Wollongong after a long absence, with their highly acclaimed collaborative work: The Light Inside.
After wowing audiences in its debut at the Sydney Opera House (as part of double bill Horizon), Bangarra’s first mainstage cross-cultural collaboration sees leading Māori choreographer and Arts Laureate, Moss Te Ururangi Patterson, join forces with beloved Bangarra alumna and proud descendent of the Wakaid Clan and Meriam people of the Torres Strait, Deborah Brown. Together they guide Bangarra’s award-winning ensemble in stories that honour their mother countries and the spirit that calls them home.
Brown is a proud descendent of the Wakaid Clan and Meriam people in the Torres Strait, and has heritage from far across the seas in Scotland. She carries strength and resilience from her ancestors. Patterson, born near Lake Taupō, is a proud mokopuna (grandson) of the Ngāti Tūwharetoa tribe, and describes his sense of home as something alive, a fire inside, that he carries like a beating heart.
Experience the resilience of the First Peoples of the Oceania region, that extends across the continent now known as Australia, the Torres Strait Islands and Aotearoa, our southern neighbour.
Composers Steve Francis and Brendon Boney
Set Designer Elizabeth Gadsby
Costume Designer Jennifer Irwin
Lighting Designer Karen Norris
Associate Set Designer Shana O’Brien
13 – 15 Feb
IMB Theatre
$64 – $94
Approx. 1 hr (no interval)
Post-Show Q&A
Thu 13 Feb, 6.30pm
Talking Point Sat 15 Feb, 15 mins after the matinee
Recommended for ages 12+
Contains voices of Tangata whenua, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have passed
MAINSTAGE SEASON
The Sydney Morning Herald
A
Queensland Performing Arts Centre and Brisbane Festival production
Trent Dalton’s Love Stories
Adapted for the stage by Tim McGarry
Additional writing and story by Trent Dalton and Fiona Franzmann
Directed by Sam Strong
Get ready to fall in love all over again.
The latest smash-hit stage adaptation of Trent Dalton’s best-selling book Love Stories, sold-out Brisbane Festival in 2024, playing to more than 20,000 ecstatic audience members. Now it starts its national tour here in Wollongong for a strictly limited two-week season.
A father prepares himself for the day he lets go of his daughter’s hand. A young man breaks up with his girlfriend so they can both follow their dreams. A grandmother dreams of seeing her grandson’s face. Inspired by a personal moment of profound love and generosity, bestselling author Trent Dalton spent two months in 2021 gathering stories on his sky-blue 1960s Olivetti typewriter, on a prominent street corner in Brisbane’s CBD. Speaking to Australians from all walks of life, he asked them one simple thing: ‘Can you please tell me a love story?’
With acclaimed playwright Tim McGarry and the creative team behind the smash-hit page-to-stage adaptation of Boy Swallows Universe, Dalton’s vignettes are lovingly adapted into a whirlwind production, merging candid performances from a stellar cast and cine-theatre that will make you fall in love all over again. Critics and audiences agree – this is not to be missed!
Choreographer and Movement Director
Dr Nerida Matthaei
Associate Director Ngoc Phan
Set and Costume Design Renee Mulder
Lighting Design Ben Hughes
Video Design and Cinematographer
Craig Wilkinson
Composition and Sound Design
Stephen Francis
27 Feb – 8 Mar
IMB Theatre
$84 – $119
Approx. 1 hr 40 mins (no interval)
Post-Show Q&A
Thu 6 Mar, 6.30pm
Talking Point
Sat 1 Mar, 15 mins after the matinee
Recommended for ages 15+
Contains strong language and adult themes
‘It dives into the chaos of love –the joy, the pain, the laughter, the heartbreak... sending you back to the streets feeling just a little more alive.’
The Guardian
‘In a time when we need joy more than ever, Love Stories lifts the spirit.’
A Hayes Theatre Co in association with The Art House Wyong production
Gilbert and Sullivan’s
The Pirates of Penzance
or The Slave of Duty re-wiredre-booted and
Adapted by Richard Carroll
Four performers, one piano... Gilbert and Sullivan like you’ve never seen it before!
Making waves in the Sydney theatre scene, Hayes Theatre Co captures the spirit of Off-Broadway in Australia and now they harness the irreverent, genre-busting spirit of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance.
From the same creative team that brought us Once, this brand-new, boisterously joyful adaptation is brought to life by four bold performers, playing all the roles! Sail away in pure escapism with the Pirate King, Ruth, Mabel, and Frederic, as they navigate the high seas of romance, work-life balance, and irritating administrative errors. Plus, a motley crew of singing police, Major Generals and more!
In the spirit of 2018’s Calamity Jane, you can immerse yourself in the world of piracy with special on-stage seating. Don’t miss out on this mad-cap, satirical musical, that now comes to life for a very modern world.
Director Richard Carroll
Arranger and Musical Supervisor
Victoria Falconer
Musical Director Trevor Jones
Assistant Director and Choreographer
Shannon Burns
Set Designer Nick Fry
Sound Designer Daniel Herten
Cast includes Jay Laga’aia and Brittanie Shipway
26 – 29 Mar
IMB Theatre
$54 – $84
Approx. 2 hrs (incl. interval)
Post-Show Q&A
Thu 27 Mar, 6.30pm
Talking Point
Sat 29 Mar, 15 mins after the matinee
Recommended for ages 12+
‘But I’ll be true to the song I sing, And live and die a Pirate King.’ Gilbert and Sullivan
Jay Laga’aia.
Photo by John McRae
‘We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he to-day that sheds his blood with me Shall be my brother...’
William Shakespeare, Henry V
A Bell Shakespeare production Henry 5
By William Shakespeare Directed by Marion Potts
The cost of war has never been greater.
Restlessly interrogating and updating Shakespeare’s classics for the modern world, Bell Shakespeare returns with a new production of Henry 5. Shakespeare’s questions of how we navigate leadership and culpability, judge heroic acts, and reconcile different truths, come squarely into a 21st century lens.
Young Prince Hal has left his wayward adolescence behind and assumed the mantle of kingship. Following a humiliating insult by the French prince, King Henry launches England into a war with France to claim the throne he believes is rightfully his. Against all odds, he leads his troops from despair to climactic victory at the Battle of Agincourt. He is hailed as a warrior, and a hero. But at what cost?
For more than thirty five years, Bell Shakespeare has taken theatre to audiences old and young around Australia, using Shakespeare’s universal insights to inspire and connect with each generation. This riveting new production is directed by Marion Potts (Othello, Hamlet), and stars dynamic newcomer JK Kazzi.
Set and Costume Designer Anna Tregloan Composer and Sound Designer Jethro Woodward
Cast includes JK Kazzi, Odile le Clézio, Mararo Wangai and Jo Turner
30 Apr – 3 May
IMB Theatre
$64 – $94
Approx. 2 hrs 30 mins (incl. interval)
Post-Show Q&A
Thu 1 May, 11am and 6.30pm Talking Point Sat 3 May, 15 mins after the matinee
Recommended for ages 13+
JK Kazzi. Photo by Pierre Toussaint
A Belvoir St Theatre production
Scenes from the Climate Era
By David Finnigan
Directed by Carissa Licciardello
Life, love, and making money, as things heat up.
Belvoir St Theatre returns to the Merrigong stage with a stunning work which delivers an engaging climate conversation in an affecting theatrical experience.
From the mind of David Finnigan, an Australian writer and game developer at the forefront of climate change research and writing, comes a wild race through vignettes exploring an uncertain future of beaches where once there were none, travelling the world when aeroplanes are gone, oh, and zombie mice.
Remarkable, illuminating and shocking, Scenes from the Climate Era takes you through over fifty small plays that catch the exhilaration, frustration and fascination of living in interesting times.
Equal parts comedic and thought-provoking, but never wagging its finger in your face, Scenes from the Climate Era is a play about now –about the choices we made yesterday, and the difficult beauty of tomorrow.
‘This is theatre doing what it was made to do. An invigoratingly honest portrayal of what it’s like to engage with climate change conversations (and be alive!) right this second.’
Limelight
Set and Lighting Designer Nick Schlieper
Costume Designer Ella Butler
Composer and Sound Designer David Bergman
Dramaturg Vaishnavi Suryaprakash
Cast includes Abbie-Lee Lewis
14 – 17 May
Bruce Gordon Theatre
$50 – $65
Approx. 1 hr 20 mins (no interval)
Post-Show Q&A
Thu 15 May, 6.30pm
Talking Point Sat 17 May, 15 mins after the matinee
Recommended for ages 15+ Contains strong language and adult themes
MAINSTAGE SEASON
Brandon Mcclelland, Abbie-Lee
Lewis and Charles Wu. Photo by Daniel Boud
The Dictionary of Lost Words
Adapted by Verity Laughton from the novel by Pip Williams
Directed by Jessica Arthur
“Illuminating... exceptionally translates the novel to stage.” Time Out
Pip Williams’ award-winning New York Times bestseller, The Dictionary of Lost Words was the first Australian book chosen for Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club, and the stage adaptation became a sold out, smash-hit in 2023. Now it comes to Wollongong to sweep you away.
It’s 1886, and the very first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary is being compiled. Young Esme Nicoll has a front row seat. Well, she’s hiding under the sorting table, anyway. As her father and his male colleagues decide which words stay and which go, Esme collects the discarded scraps to compile her own radical, magical dictionary.
A sweeping historical tale, The Dictionary of Lost Words follows Esme from her childhood into adulthood at the height of the women’s suffrage movement and the beginning of the First World War. Delight in this beautiful and transporting reflection on love and language in a stunning work of art, with each detail carefully considered. It’s unmissable!
Set Designer Jonathon Oxlade
Costume Designer Ailsa Paterson
Lighting Designer Trent Suidgeest
Composer and Sound Designer Max Lyandvert
29 May – 7 Jun
IMB Theatre
$84 – $119
Approx. 2 hrs 45 mins (incl. interval)
Post-Show Q&A Thu 5 June, 6.30pm
Talking Point Sat 31 May, 15 mins after the matinee
Recommended for ages 15+ Contains strong language and adult themes
‘A
90-minute joyride.’
NZ Herald
Mr Red Light
By Carl Bland
Directed by Ben Crowder and Carl Bland
Wild slapstick, the meaning of life, falling in love – suddenly the pie shop is a place where anything can happen.
One of the funniest, most outrageously original New Zealand shows to ever hit the stage, Mr Red Light comes from award-winning company, Nightsong. Shortlisted for the Adam New Zealand Play Awards 2019, this is absurdist comedy at its most life-affirming and joyful.
Mr Red Light is a man who attracts bad luck. So naturally, when he tries to rob a bank he fails miserably – and ends up in a pie shop dealing with three very uncooperative hostages and the world’s worst police negotiator. As time ticks by, Mr Red Light and his captives play a game of getting to know you. With nowhere to run and nothing to lose, they form an unlikely bond. And mysteriously, Mr Red Light seems to know more about his hostages’ lives than is possible.
Mr Red Light is a fool, or maybe a prophet. Either way, he’ll remind you how wonderful life can be.
Set Designer Andrew Foster
Lighting Designer Nik Janiurek
Costume Designer Elizabeth Whiting
Sound Designer John Gibson
Video Designer Charley Draper
Dramaturg Philippa Campbell
Cast includes Trygve Wakenshaw and Jennifer Ludlam
2 – 5 Jul
Bruce Gordon Theatre
$44 – $59
Approx. 1 hr 25 mins (no interval)
Post-Show Q&A Thu 3 Jul, 6.30pm
Talking Point Sat 5 Jul, 15 mins after the matinee
Recommended for ages 15+
Contains strong language and scenes with a gun
‘It’s the kind of theatre that makes film look boring and turns first-time punters into lifelong patrons.’
Up Your Arts
A Place in the Sultan’s Kitchen
or How to Make the Perfect One-Pot Chicken Curry
By Joshua Hinton
We are made of the stories we are told, and the stories we choose to tell.
After wowing audiences in its MERRIGONGX debut in 2024, A Place in the Sultan’s Kitchen (or How to Cook the Perfect One-Pot Chicken Curry), returns, but this time to the Merrigong mainstage season.
Charming, funny and moving, it’s a show woven from the threads of a sweeping family epic. Local theatre-maker and singer-songwriter Josh Hinton fills the theatre with music, memories, and exotic smells as he attempts to make his grandmother’s chicken curry, live on stage.
Sharing childhood memories and family folklore passed down the generations, Josh transports the audience from the backstreets of Sri Lanka to a bustling city in India, from a schoolyard in Iran to a South African farm, and finally to Wollongong. It’s a show for anyone who’s searched for where they belong in this world, who’s lived between different cultures, or who has loved and lost family.
Direction and Production Design Leland Kean
Vision and Sound Design Dominic Hinton
Dramaturgy and additional writing Simon Hinton
Cast Joshua Hinton and Dominic Hinton
20 – 23 Aug
Bruce Gordon Theatre
$34 – $49
Approx. 1 hr 10 mins (no interval)
Post-Show Q&A Thu 21 Aug, 6.30pm
Talking Point Sat 23 Aug, 15 mins after the matinee
Recommended for ages 12+
‘Joshua is an engaging and natural performer... this entertaining and fascinating work would be well seen again.’
Robert Love AM, online theatre reviews
‘Fast-paced and clever… a celebration of women in power and a stark look at what it takes to get there.’
A Sydney Theatre Company and Canberra Theatre Centre production
Julia
By Joanna Murray-Smith
Directed by Sarah Goodes
Justine Clarke’s exhilarating performance will be remembered for generations.
Sold out and showered with critical adoration on its premiere in 2023, Julia comes to Wollongong for a hotly anticipated and unmissable two-week season.
In 2012, Prime Minister Julia Gillard delivered a speech that sent shockwaves around the world. Now, over a decade later, a group of Australia’s finest theatre-makers have created a stirring and inspiring re-examination of that moment, and a revelatory portrait of the woman who made it happen.
Julia is both a compelling insight into the person behind the public mask, with Justine Clarke’s extraordinary performance at its centre, and a reflection on the experience of women in contemporary politics. In a thrilling coming together of history and art, this incredible dramatic imagining renders a powerful monologue that takes us through key moments in Prime Minister Gillard’s life, culminating in an electrifying verbatim performance of the ‘misogyny speech’.
This play is a fictional imagining by the playwright, of true events in the life of Julia Gillard. It combines references to true events, extracts from published works, interviews, fictitious commentary and opinions which the Playwright and the Producers believe to be honestly held. Ms Gillard has not endorsed, nor had any artistic input into the production of this play.
Designer Renée Mulder
Lighting Designer Alexander Berlage
Composer and Sound Designer Steve Francis
Video Designer Susie Henderson
Cast includes Justine Clarke
3 – 13 Sep
IMB Theatre
$84 – $119
Approx. 1 hr 30 mins (no interval)
Post-Show Q&A
Thu 4 Sep, 6.30pm
Talking Point
Sat 6 Sep, 15 mins after the matinee
Recommended for ages 15+
Contains strong language
Duck Pond
Created by Yaron Lifschitz and the Circa Ensemble
Feathers will fly in Circa’s exuberant take on Swan Lake.
The world’s most romantic ballet is re-imagined as a circus spectacular, full of Circa’s signature physicality, shot through with cheeky humour, and a thoroughly contemporary energy.
Be swept away by this tale of swans and hapless princes, sparkling with quirky touches like the sequined flipper-wearing duck army and a burlesque black swan. There are sumptuous aerials, jaw-dropping acrobatics, and of course feathers! Touching, funny and utterly entertaining, Duck Pond is a tale of identity and finding your true self.
The internationally acclaimed, award-winning contemporary circus company, Circa, pushes the limits of the art-form, with jaw-dropping acrobatics that keep you spellbound and on the edge of your seats – it’s not your mother’s Swan Lake.
Director and Stage Design Yaron Lifschitz
Composer and Sound Designer
Jethro Woodward
Costume Designer Libby McDonnell
Lighting Designer Alexander Berlage
Associate Director Marty Evans
Dramaturg and Associate Choreographer
Rani Luther
Voice Over Artist Elise Greig
‘Duck Pond may just be one of the most exhilarating and thought-provoking shows you will see this year’ ArtsHub
22 – 25 Oct
IMB Theatre
$54 – $84
Approx. 1 hr 15 mins (no interval)
Post-Show Q&A
Thu 23 Oct, 6.30pm
Talking Point Sat 25 Oct, 15 mins after the matinee
Recommended for ages 10+
Circa Ensemble.
Photo by Damien Bredberg
‘I am continually inspired by The Strangeways Ensemble.’
A Merrigong Theatre Company production in association with The Disability Trust
The Seven
By The Strangeways Ensemble
Runaways, alien abduction, a cult, or murder... what happened to The Seven?
In 1964, a group of seven friends are on their way home from seeing The Beatles concert in Sydney, when an incident on the train forces them to get off at Helensburgh station. Missing the last train, they decide to try and hitch a ride. In the morning light, it becomes clear that none of them made it back.
After a short-lived investigation into their disappearance, the case is closed, and their story becomes local legend. Until 2024, when a grisly discovery at the Helensburgh Tunnel forces the re-opening of the 60-year-old case, and old grudges and conspiracy theories that have circled the mystery for years, are brought to the fore.
For more than a decade, members of The Strangeways Ensemble have created genre-bending theatre like Trash Talk and Something That Happened, infused with trademark humour, gravity and insight. Now their latest work, The Seven takes a witty approach to horror and conspiracy tropes to create an original, home-grown mystery that explores notions of visibility and the unknown.
Director and Writer Anne-Louise Rentell Cast and Devisers Malcolm Allison, Ethan Arnold, Jordan Bowater, Ethan Green, Rachel Head, Phillip Prentice and Christian Tagliaferro
21 – 29 Nov
Wollongong Town Hall
$34 – $49
Approx. 1 hr 50 mins
(incl. interval)
Post-Show Q&A
Thu 27 Nov, 6.30pm
Talking Point
Sat 29 Nov, 15 mins after the matinee
Recommended for ages 14+
Contains strong language and adult themes
Illawarra Flame
Yandha Djanbay Go Slowly
By Kirli Saunders
Yandha Djanbay presents a powerful meditation on resilience, connection, and healing. Fusing language with land, and intimate storytelling with audiovisual projection, this work honours proud Gunai woman and multi-disciplinary artist, Kirli Saunders’ relationship with Country as both balm and blessing in times of hardship. This performance is a celebration of her inherited strength, her identity as a Blak queer woman, and the wisdom found in slowing down, offering an immersive experience of renewal and connection.
20 – 22 Feb, 7.30pm
Bruce Gordon Theatre
Approx. 1 h (no interval)
Recommended for ages 14+
Providing independent artists with financial, technical, marketing and artistic resources. We focus on supporting artists to take creative risks.
Reserve your spot and Pay What You Feel after the show.
Public Access
by Amy Fairall with Desmond Edwards
Dog People
by Lucy Heffernan
Dog People is a new play about dogs and death... with songs. Tuning into the music of dogs, writer and performer Lucy Heffernan unleashes her inner animal, creating an exciting new work that explores themes of love, loyalty and loss. Using the language of alt rock, pop and love ballads, Dog People explores what it is to be human… perhaps people aren’t that different from dogs after all?
19 – 21 Jun, 7.30pm
Bruce Gordon Theatre
Approx. 1 hr 30 mins (no interval)
Recommended for ages 14+
Squatch Watch: LIVE
by Vaguely Adjacent
Coming to you live is ‘Squatch Watch’ the most acclaimed and highest rated cryptozoology podcast in Australia. Join Luke, Frank, Sophie and Nick as their decade of recording and research culminates in the most exciting live show you will ever see.
Squatch Watch: LIVE brings you undeniable, irrefutable and jaw-dropping proof of Australia’s very own Bigfoot – The Yowie. Whether this is your first expedition into the unknown or you’re a seasoned Sasquatch veteran, become one of the special few transformed by the truth.
25 – 27 Sep, 7.30pm
Bruce Gordon Theatre
Approx. 1 hr (no interval)
Recommended for ages 15+
Nic wants a seachange. She’s fled Sydney to take up a job at the local library, but the ‘quiet life’ is proving a little more complicated than she hoped. The staff are set in their ways, the customers defy easy classification, and management are already asking her to make cuts. Her only ally is Pauly, the elderly library hermit who knows every page in every book by heart, only he’s rapidly losing his ability to read... and his memory. Can Nic find a way to save him and the library from itself?
From the award-winning minds at The Corinthian Food Store, this new work explores the role of public spaces in our increasingly privatised society. It’s about the places we go to be seen and heard, and who gets to decide what matters.
Venue and dates announced in Feb 2025
Approx. 1 hr 30 mins (no interval)
Recommended for ages 16+
An action-packed play about kindness, bravery, (and of course) burgers.
From the creative mind of bestselling children’s author David Walliams (The World’s Worst Children, Gangsta Granny), don’t miss the screamingly funny Ratburger live on stage!
Zoe lives with her dad and a stepmother who ignores her, the school bully makes her life a misery, and now, her pet hamster has died! When she befriends a loveable dancing rat named Dapper, things start looking up –but the evil Burt from Burt’s Burgers is cooking up an awful plan…
From CDP Kids, the team behind The 13-, 26-, 52-, 78- and 91-Storey Treehouses, Mr Stink and The Midnight Gang, David Walliams’ number one bestselling book comes to life with visually stunning sets and charming puppetry.
Director Liesel Badorrek
Designer Isla Shaw
Lighting Designer Jasmine Rizk
Sound Designer Ross Johnston
Video Producer Mic Gruchy
23 – 24 Apr
IMB Theatre
Tickets $29
Approx. 1 hr (no interval)
Relaxed performance Thu 24 Apr, 10am
Recommended for ages 6+
books ever written.
“and – pop! – out of the egg came a tiny and very hungry caterpillar.”
One of the most famous children’s books of all time, The Very Hungry Caterpillar emerges off the page in a masterful theatrical experience.
WWW.HUNGRYCATERPILLARSHOW.COM
A menagerie of over 75 magical puppets, including the very hungry star of the show, are brought to life by an Australian cast.
Alongside The Very Hungry Caterpillar, the show features three other Eric Carle stories – Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, Ten Little Rubber Ducks, and The Very Busy Spider, sure to excite, educate and entertain.
Associate Director Liesel Badorrek
Music and Sound Nate Edmondson
Scenic Designer David Goldstein
Puppets Rockefeller Productions
Builders and Fabricators Arlee Chadwick, Jessica Lorence and AchesonWalsh
Tue 6 May
IMB Theatre
Tickets $29
Approx. 50 mins (no interval)
Relaxed performance Tue 6 May, 10am
Recommended for ages 2+
A play by Maryam Master based on the bestselling book
Holiday Island
The Listies: 110% Ready
Written and performed by The Listies
Australia’s favourite kids’ comedians perform the MIRACLE... of leaving the house on time!
The rock stars of the kids’ comedy world, The Listies, are back again with a brand-new show. Award-winning comedians, Matt Kelly and Richard Higgins, walk the perfect line between making kids laugh outrageously while keeping the parents amused.
Now get ready for 110% Ready where Rich and Matt do something no family in Australia has ever done before: leave the house on time!
Well, that’s what Rich thinks anyway. Matt on the other hand has a different plan. He may or may not have accidentally flushed the car keys down the toilet...
With a polyglot of puns, silly slapstick sight gags, and a splash of improvisational idiocy, 110% Ready sees the masters of mirth do what they do best.
Director Mish Gregor
Lighting Designer El Edie
Sound Designer Iva Lottagas
18 – 19 Jul
Bruce Gordon Theatre
Tickets
$29
Approx. 55 mins (no interval)
Relaxed performance Sat 19 July 12.30pm
Recommended for ages 4+
An uplifting and perfectly silly beach adventure, completely indoors.
A clown yearns for a summer getaway, so she decides to create it herself. With nine colourful suitcases in tow, she builds an imaginary world of play, relaxation and togetherness in Holiday Island.
Like a silent film, driven by a nostalgic soundtrack, be transported to a place built from scraps of memory, hidden inside a pile of suitcases. Throughout the show, eager audience members may be invited on stage, leaving the more reserved folk to enjoy the action from their seats.
Ali Gordon is a clown, theatre maker and actor. Her work Art in a Box and The Clown is Sad has toured to festivals and theatres for young people around Australia.
Director Alicia Gonzalez
Technician and Stage Manager Corey Potter
Cast Ali Gordon
8 – 9 Oct
Bruce Gordon Theatre
Tickets $29
Approx. 45 mins (no interval)
Relaxed performance
Thu 9 Oct, 10am
Recommended for ages 3+
Matt Kelly and Rich Higgins.
Photo by Andrew Wuttke
Created by Ali Gordon and Alicia Gonzalez
Ali Gordon. Photo by Patrick Flynn
MERRIGONG CREATIVITY CAMP
Through improv, movement and confidence building games and craft activities, children take a journey of creative exploration. Designed to activate kids’ imaginations and build self-confidence in a fun, educational environment, this is a great space for Campers to develop ongoing friendships with other like-minded children and work towards a performance for parents at the end of the week.
Merrigong Creativity Camp is a registered provider for the NSW Government’s Active & Creative Kids Voucher Program.
Wollongong Town Hall 9am – 3pm (incl. lunch break)
MON 14 –
$240 (4 days) $290 (5 days) $240 (4 days)
20% discount for additional siblings, or when booking all three camps. For ages 5 – 12. Children will be placed into groups based on age and confidence.
School Holiday Fun
SCHOOLS AND YOUNG PEOPLE
We believe that all young people should experience live theatre! We invite young people to explore our venues, experience professional, high-quality theatre, and engage in a range of fun activities, workshops, backstage tours, and more.
Our Young People’s Program is made possible with the support of Peoplecare.
School Group Bookings
A discounted school group price of $23 – $29 per student (for groups of eight or more, depending on year group) is available for all school day matinee and selected evening performances. For each group of eight or more students, a supervising teacher can attend for free.
Student Group Season Tickets
Even bigger savings are available for groups of eight or more students seeing multiple shows.
Price per student:
3 Shows for $66
5 Shows for $95
Passport to Performance
Substantial ticket subsidies are available through our Passport to Performance program, with tickets from as little as $6 per student (for groups of eight or more). Subsidies may be available for public schools with a high FOEI score, or for school groups with additional requirements.
The Drama Studio
The Illawarra Performing Arts Centre is home to The Drama Studio, a dynamic drama school established in 1988, and run by Fiona Gabb-Finley. The Drama Studio offers drama classes for school students from Kindergarten through to Year 12.
Young Playwrights Project
A showcase of Wollongong’s youngest playwrights and performers, run in collaboration with The Drama Studio at IPAC. Young playwrights with a 10 –15 minute play they would love to see on stage are invited to apply. Scripts are assessed by professional practitioners, and the playwrights selected will work with a mentor to develop their play, which is performed by young actors from The Drama Studio.
Work Experience
A limited number of week-long work experience placements are made available each year for students to participate in and observe the different departments in operation at Merrigong. For an application form please contact education@merrigong.com.au
For more information visit merrigong.com.au/communityeducation or email education@merrigong.com.au
SEASON TICKETS
GET MORE WITH A SEASON TICKET
When you choose a SILVER or GOLD Season Ticket you unlock access to brilliant benefits and exclusive offers.
An invitation to Merrigong’s Season 2026 Launch Event
The Best Seats
We keep the best seats reserved for Season Ticket Holders before they go on sale to the public, Tue 19 Nov, 2024.
Pay Half Now, Half Later
See page 41 for more information.
Share with Family and Friends
Get unlimited discounted tickets to shows in our 2025 Mainstage Season. Must be purchased at the time of booking your Season tickets.
Real Flexibility
Free ticket exchange for every show in your package.
See page 42 for more information.
Amazing Offers With a Merrigong Loyalty Card
Dining and drinks
Enjoy 10% off at our bars and The Social café. Plus we’ve expanded our dining partnerships to offer more than ten dining venues within walking distance of the theatre, providing 10% off and exclusive offers when you present your Merrigong Loyalty card. Visit merrigong.com.au/ offers for details.
Exclusive Offers
Get discounted tickets to other selected shows throughout the year (up to two tickets per show, per Season Ticket Holder).
HOW TO BOOK SEASON TICKETS
Choose 4 or 5 Mainstage Shows to be eligible for Silver (20% off) or 6+ Mainstage Shows for Gold (30% off) The total cost of your package is determined by the shows you select.
Scan QR code or visit merrigong.com/ MerrigongSeason2025
A paper booking form is available at Box Office or as a printable PDF online.
MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR THEATRE EXPERIENCE
Join the conversation and enhance your experience with great opportunities to learn more about the theatre.
Post-show Q&As
For most shows in our Mainstage Season, we offer at least one performance where the audience is invited to stay for a conversation with the cast, and sometimes show creatives too. This is a perfect opportunity to gain deeper insights into a show and how it was made.
Free programs
We provide a free program for most Mainstage Season shows. With insights into the people behind the work and its creation, programs are made available for download and as a hard copy at the performance.
Merrigong Talking Points
ARE HERE TO HELP
Call us 10am - 4pm weekdays on 02 4224 5999, email info@merrigong.com.au or drop into Box Office at IPAC.
Learn more about theatre, the arts and the world around us! Everyone is invited to join our eclectic and engaging series of talks, designed to complement our Season. Held after Saturday matinee performances of Mainstage Season shows, Merrigong Talking Points are free and run for approximately one hour. No bookings required. Check show pages for dates and times.
Pre-show reminders
To make sure you don’t miss a thing, we’ll send you a ticket reminder 1 2 days before your chosen performance. Please provide your email address when booking.
COMMUNITY
Our goal is to build and sustain strong and meaningful relationships with individuals, groups and organisations across our local community, to meet our aims for inclusivity, diversity, access and opportunity. We work with a wide range of local organisations to develop specific arts-based programs and provide subsidised community rates and event support for the use of our spaces. These include:
Proud community partners since 2006, The Disability Trust’s Sport and Recreation program offers participants the opportunity to regularly work with professional theatre artists and to present their bi-annual productions in our venues. We also work closely with them to provide work experience and employment opportunities for people with disability.
Merrigong supports Beyond Empathy’s team of artists, mentors, community workers and leaders with strong connections to First Nations communities, through a partnership that provides young people in need with access to the theatre.
Merrigong partners with Women Illawarra to offer women and their children who have been affected by domestic violence a safe and supported opportunity to engage and participate in the theatre and the broader community.
Merrigong supports The Multicultural Communities Council of Illawarra to offer people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds opportunities to engage with the theatre.
Our partnership with Coomaditchie United Aboriginal Corporation aims to raise the self-esteem, pride, motivation and dignity of Aboriginal people through culturally appropriate programs that strengthen Aboriginal identity and culture, and encourage selfdetermination.
Merrigong works with Woolyungah Indigenous Centre to host interns from the University of Wollongong to improve student opportunities for career development and employment in the arts.
Merrigong has partnered with South Coast Writers’ Centre to provide support for Live and Local, a satellite event of the Sydney Writers’ Festival, as well as the Merrigong & SCWC Playwright’s Project.
Merrigong supports Wollongong Conservatorium of Music in connecting community and young people to music in our venues.
SUPPORT MERRIGONG
The performing arts enrich our lives in so many ways, from sparking inspiration, fostering creativity, and bringing our community together. Your support ensures that the arts continue to thrive for everyone in the Illawarra. Through tax-deductible donations, corporate partnerships, or joining our dedicated team of volunteers, your contribution plays a crucial role in everything we achieve, both on and off the stage. Every contribution, big or small, makes a huge difference.
Merrigong Theatre Company is a not-for-profit organisation.
Inner Circle event with the cast of Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap, Sep 2024
ARE YOU PART OF OUR INNER CIRCLE?
Donate $250 or more and you become part of our Inner Circle, where you’ll have the chance to connect with like-minded arts advocates and make the biggest impact to the arts in our region.
Our Inner Circle donors are recognised at three levels:
INNER CIRCLE INSIDER
($1,000+)
INNER CIRCLE COLLABORATOR
($500 – $999)
The Impact of your kind donation allows us to:
INNER CIRCLE SUPPORTER
($250 – $499)
• Develop New Works – Support the next generation of artists through MERRIGONGX, which offers creative development, backing for emerging artists, and commissions for new works from Australian playwrights.
• Inspire Young Minds – Our Young People’s Program enables us to subsidise tickets for schools and community groups, inspiring the youth of our community.
• Build Inclusivity – In collaboration with The Disability Trust and our professional performance company, The Strangeways Ensemble, we provide opportunities for people living with disabilities to participate in the arts.
• Support Artists’ Wellbeing – support local artists’ mental health, wellbeing, safety and security.
Bequests
Donate by scanning the QR code, via our website at www.merrigong.com.au/support, visit or call our box office on 02 4224 5999. All donations over $2 are tax deductible.
Leaving a gift to Merrigong Theatre Company in your Will is a special and powerful way to support the long-term future of our company, as we put artists and community at the centre of everything we do. Email us at marketing@merrigong.com.au
I think it is vital to support the arts in our area. It’s great to see such a diverse arrangement of productions. Something for everyone. The community would be sadly lacking if we ever lost Iive theatre.
I’ve been an Inner Circle donor for the past three years and I love knowing that my donation makes a big difference and I thoroughly enjoy all the events I get to experience by being a donor.
Responses from Inner Circle Survey, 2024
A SINCERE THANK YOU
I donate because I believe if you value something and want it to thrive you need to support it, in whatever way you can.
to our wonderful Inner Circle donors whose generosity and support is instrumental in creating a vibrant future for artists, audiences, and our entire community.
INNER CIRCLE INSIDERS
($1,000+)
Ann Hinton
Bruce Walker
Christopher Hughes-Gage and Michael Davies
George and Rada Millwood
Hilton and Jan Bloomfield
Ken McKinnon and Suzanne Walker
Leta Webb
Liz Elliott and Kevin Marston
Marie Mitchell-Stanley
Merri Sheppard
Pauline and Rodney Doyle
Steve Andersen
Warwick Shanks OAM and Sharon Behl-Shanks Anonymous x2
INNER CIRCLE COLLABORATORS
($500 - $999)
Aerovort Resources
Amy Harper
Ann Conte
Angela and Steve McCrea
Bev Darby
Chris and Jaqui McRobert
Damien Leith
Four Star Cleaning
Jodie Parker and Robin D’Rozario
John and Adrian Quilter
John Penney
Katherine Brown
Kevin and Sue Savage
Lynne and David Lear
Margaret Wolfe
Merilyn Pearson
Pamela and Harry Bassett
Rosemary and Darcy Mahon
Shabnam and Simon Hinton
Simon and Sharon Hodsden
Trudy and Col Bruton
Anonymous x2
INNER CIRCLE SUPPORTERS
($250 – $499)
Alice and David Bell
Angela Raymond
Ann and Peter Robinson
Antonio De Liseo
Bill Singh
Catherine Cosgrove
Dana Freeman
Deborah Hoffman and Chris
McKenna
Don and Marlene Matthew
Elouera Home Support
Graeme and Lisa McKay
Hazel Flynn
Imogen Ross
*Correct as of 10 Sep 2024
Jan Keith
Jane Westbrook and Mark Ramsden
Kenneth Bradshaw
Leland Kean and Kar Chalmers
Lynette Upton
Michael Pennisi and Cindy Swift
Paul Jennings and Rhonni Garven
Proud Living Co.
Rachel Francis and Kim Buck
Ron and Helen Jaray
Sarah Miller AM
Uwe Dostleben
Anonymous x2
ACCESSIBILITY
We aim to ensure that our venues are accessible to everyone by offering a range of services, performances and programs for people with of all levels of ability.
Accessible seating areas are available for those with wheelchairs or mobility concerns. Please advise Box Office at the time of booking.
Companion Card holders are entitled to a ticket for their companion free of charge.
Our venues have induction hearing loops compatible with T-switch hearing aids. Hearing augmentation is available in IPAC theatres, receivers can be obtained from the Box Office.
Live Captioning is available via GoTheatrical! app. Please download the app prior to your performance or we can supply a device.
We offer performances with AUSLAN interpretation, tactile tours, relaxed performances, and audio description. Please visit the access page on our website for a full list of services,
Our venues have Access Guides to help you best plan your visit and know what to expect. These are available on our website.
If you or a companion have access requirements or need more information, please contact Box Office prior to your visit on (02) 4224 5999, email boffice@merrigong.com.au or visit merrigong.com.au/access
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Key Dates for your diary
Season Tickets on Sale Tue 5 Nov
Individual Tickets on sale Tue 19 Nov
Pay half now, half later
If paying by credit card, you can choose to pay half of your Season package when booking.
We’ll charge your card for the remaining 50% on or close to 15 April 2025 (a $9.20 handling fee applies.)
Transaction fees
A per transaction fee of $6.95 applies to phone and internet bookings. No transaction fees are payable for counter purchases, or for Season Ticket Packages.
Proof of concession
Discounted ticket prices are available for Health Care Card, Pensioner Concession Card, Australian Writers’ Guild and MEAA card holders, as well as full-time students. Seniors’ Card holders may also book Season Ticket packages at the concession price. Proof of concession will be requested prior to admission to the theatre.
Family of 4 tickets
These tickets can be used for anyone under 30, not just children, and up to two adults (30+) in the group.
Groups
If you would like to be seated with friends, please make sure you submit your Season Ticket booking forms together. Please include the names and contact details of all people in the group.
Exchanging tickets
Season Ticket Holders can swap each ticket in their package once, for free, into another performance of the same show, or any other show in Merrigong’s 2025 Season. Where performance prices vary, the difference will be charged. Please contact us at least 24 hours before your booked performance. Unlimited additional exchanges are permitted at an exchange fee of $4.80 per ticket, per exchange.
Refunds
Tickets cannot be refunded after purchase except if an event is cancelled, rescheduled or
significantly relocated as outlined in the Live Performance Australia Ticketing Code of Practice.
For more details, visit liveperformance.com.au
Age recommendations
While we provide age recommendations for shows, parental discretion is advised.
Content warnings
Productions may include smoke effects, strobe effects, nudity, strong language, loud sound effects, simulated violence or adult themes. Where we have information about the production, we have included warnings in this brochure. However, at the time of performance we will also provide notice in the foyers of our theatres and on our website including any additional information. Please speak with our Front of House staff if you have any concerns.
Blankets
Everyone experiences air conditioning differently. If you get cold in the theatre, we have blankets on hand to make sure you keep warm and enjoy the experience. Please ask our friendly Front of House staff if you would like a blanket.
Cushions
Seating in the IMB Theatre and Bruce Gordon Theatre is raked, providing excellent sight lines to the stage. Seating in Wollongong Town Hall Main Auditorium is on the flat. We have booster cushions available on request, free of charge for all venues.
Light Inside, The Pirates of Penzance, Henry 5, Scenes from the Climate Era, A Place in the Sultans Kitchen, Julia, The Seven, MERRIGONGX Artists’ Program
Light Inside, The Pirates of Penzance, Henry 5, Scenes from the Climate Era, The Dictionary of Lost Words, A Place in the Sultans Kitchen, Julia, Duck Pond, MERRIGONGX Artists’ Program, The Listies: 110% Ready,
Merrigong Theatre Company Major Funding Partners
Season 2025 Supporters
Merrigong Theatre Company manages IPAC & Wollongong Town Hall on behalf of its major funding partner, Wollongong City Council.
MEDIA PARTNERS
Supporters of shows in our 2025 season
The
The
Ratburger
The Light Inside, Scenes from the Climate Era, The Listies: 110% Ready
The Dictionary of Lost Words Scenes From the Climate Era
Mr Red Light
Love Stories Duck Pond
Circa acknowledges the assistance of the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body and the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland.
Duck Pond is co-commissioned by QPAC and The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi, The Art House Wyong, Frankston Arts Centre, HOTA - Home of the Arts, Merrigong Theatre Company and Orange Civic Theatre. Brisbane Festival is an initiative of the Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council
Mr Red Light was commissioned by New Zealand Festival and developed with the support of Auckland Live
Supported by Oranges and Sardines, Patty Akopiantz and Justin Punch
