What’s On
June to December 2026
Jess Hutton
Welcome
Whether it’s your first show or you’ve already got this season in your calendar, The Joan and Lewers are just part of life here in Penrith.
The Joan, Q Theatre, Penrith Conservatorium of Music and Lewers: Penrith Regional Gallery. Four organisations, one cultural home. Together we bring the best performing arts from across the country to our backyard, and exhibitions like the Biennale of Sydney to our gallery walls.
Start your journey in the gallery garden with your baby at Bubs Club. Bring the kids to their first live show at The Joan. Then sign them up to learn an instrument at the Con or join Q Theatre’s drama workshops. Discover your new favourite comedian at Sydney Comedy Festival. Catch an album launch, or see a friend starring in a musical.
One show has a way of turning into a season. A season into a decade. Before long you’re a Morning Melodies regular, an Agile not Fragile devotee, a familiar face at every Lewers opening.
At any stage of life, whatever lights you up, we’re here.
Hope to catch you at a gig or an opening soon.
Toby Chapman CEO & Artistic Director
We acknowledge the Dharug and Gundungurra peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the lands and waters of Penrith and the Nepean River.
We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and honour the deep cultural knowledge, creativity and storytelling that have shaped this region for tens of thousands of years.
At PP&VA, we are committed to listening, learning and celebrating the enduring cultural strength of First Nations communities. Always was, always will be.
The Joan
The Joan and Shake & Stir Theatre Co present
Tales from the Brothers Grimm
26 June 1pm & 7.30pm From $60
Fairytales like you’ve never heard before... Award-winning Shake & Stir Theatre Co’s dark, delicious and wild retelling of old familiar stories. Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood and other beloved characters emerge from the shadows, as the truth behind their tales boils and bubbles to the surface. Tuck yourself in!
Joel
Devereux
Theatre
The Joan, Women with Pockets and Andrew Kay & Associates present
MIDDLE RAGED
A Musical Meltdown
3 & 4 July
2pm & 7.30pm
From $89.90
World
Premiere
Bring your own fan, it’s gonna get hot in here!
Middle Raged is a fierce and funny new Australian show about aging, raging and changing. Created from hundreds of real women’s stories, with songs by Missy Higgins, Gillian Cosgriff and Tim Minchin, this powerhouse celebration of sisterhood is the girls’ night out you’ve been waiting for.
“Biggins’s finest work … The man on stage becomes PJ Keating.”
The Joan and Soft Tread present
13-15 August 2pm & 7.30pm From $70
Jonathan Biggins, Australia’s favourite comic actor of The Wharf Review fame, returns with his one-man tour-de-force, transforming into the visionary reformer and rabble-rouser, Paul Keating. Capturing the former PM’s wicked wit wrapped in a Zegna suit, Biggins brings fresh takes on current affairs and zeitgeist zingers.
Brett Boardman
Premier Artists presents Vika and Linda: Where
Do You Come From?
24 July 7.30pm From $89
Always in harmony, Vika & Linda celebrate their powerful and personal new album, Where Do You Come From? It marks the sisters’ emergence as powerful songwriters in their own right, telling their own stories spanning identity, ancestry, motherhood, ageing, grief, joy, and the grounding presence of water.
Marty Sheargold
31 July 8pm From $64.90
The Red Card Tour is Marty’s new show, full of his razor-sharp wit, masterful storytelling and unfiltered takes on life, taking aim at everything from modern madness to middle-age misfires.
Georgie Carroll: INFECTIOUS
14 November 7.30pm From $59.90
The riotous nurse-turnedcomedian’s new act is a high-energy, laugh-until-it-hurts experience, from this award-winning live powerhouse and brilliantly funny storyteller. Best medicine on the market.
Comedy Music
Brian Purnell
The Joan
Theatre
The Joan and ATYP present
Saplings
25 August 1pm & 7.30pm From $40
These are the stories, at once hilarious and heartbreaking, of young people from Western Sydney experiencing the youth justice system. With a rap and hip-hop soundtrack, Saplings packs a punch, asking how do young people grow when the system keeps cutting them down?
Winner, 2024 Best Production for Young People, Sydney Theatre Awards
Robert Catto
Daniel Boud
Kids & Family
The Joan presents Monkey Baa Theatre Company’s and QPAC’s Out of the Box co-production
Where is the Green Sheep?
29 & 30 September 10am & 12pm $27.50 For ages 1-6
Based on the beloved book by Mem Fox and Judy Horacek, come on a wild, fun journey joining three farmers on their quest to find the elusive green sheep. This baa-rilliant theatre production blends puppetry and animation for a magical and memorable adventure.
“A charming, clever and irresistibly woolly adventure that enchants tiny humans and big kids alike.”
Stage Whispers
The Joan Music
Morning Melodies
The Joan’s much-loved monthly concert series makes Penrith sing, with golden classics, musical theatre favourites and dazzling performers. Tickets include morning tea served from 10am before the show.
Prebook $22.50 On the day $25.50
Sons of Sun
Elvis, Jerry Lee, Johnny and Me
A rock ’n’ roll play
24 June 11am
Melodies and Memories: Broadway’s Golden Age
Richard Bonynge Ensemble 22 July 11am
Beatles to Bacharach
Bill Croft and Jo Elms 26 August 11am
Home Grown
Royal Australian Navy Band 23 September 11am
A Life Centre Stage
Stephen Fisher-King 28 October 11am
Piano Legends
Tony Williams 25 November 11am
A Christmas Affair
Olivia Vásquez and Jake Tyler
16 December 11am
Olivia Vásquez and Jake Tyler, A Christmas Affair
Sons of Sun
Right: Tony Williams Below: Royal Australian Navy Band
“spectacular circus with real emotional heft”
The Joan and Circa present
Wolf
7 October 7.30pm & 8 October 11am From $80
The Joan is proud to present the Sydney premiere of Wolf by ground-breaking Australian company Circa. With a unique physical blend of dance, theatre and circus, 10 artists explore the untameable side of human nature — the wolf in us all. It’s a gasp-worthy, acrobatic thrill ride.
Andy Phillipson
Dance Circus
Festmag
Four local venues, so many ways to get young ones involved in the joy of creativity. Make art with your baby at Bubs Club in the gardens of Lewers Gallery (see p16). Bring your toddler to a magical children’s show live at The Joan (see p9). Start your child’s musical journey learning an instrument at the Penrith Con (see p18). Stretch your teenager’s skills and imagination with Q Theatre’s varied performance programs (see p24).
It’s the beginning of a lifetime discovering and engaging in Penrith’s bubbling cultural life.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
13 June 1.30 & 6pm From $30
Q Theatre’s Youth Performance Ensemble star in their fresh interpretation of Shakespeare’s beloved comedy.
Pops for Tots: Around the World with
PSO
14 June 11am $25
Pack your imagination and get ready for an adventure! Join Emily Who and Penrith Symphony Orchestra for a joyful musical journey around the globe.
Eddy Summers
Age 3-7
Age 12 and up
Age 1-6
Where is the Green Sheep?
29 & 30 September 10am & 12pm $27.50
Blending puppetry and animation, cocreated with and narrated by students from Bankstown West Public School, this show is a delight for young audiences.
Pinocchio
6 October 11am From $15
Age 5 and up
Penrith Con’s Richard Bonynge Ensemble joins the Glenbrook Ballet Theatre dancers for composer Alexander Litvinovsky’s magical interpretation of Pinocchio’s classic story, the puppet who wanted to be a boy.
Age 4-8
Pevan & Sarah in Concert
26 November 10.30am $24
Grab your tiger ears for the ultimate musical adventure! This interactive stage spectacle is packed with bangers, big laughs and brilliant learning.
Lewers: Penrith Regional Gallery
Leanne Tobin, The Call of Ngura (Country), 2022
Exhibition
Leanne Tobin Ngalawan: We Live. We Remain.
4 July – 1 November Free entry
This major survey exhibition of senior Dharug artist Leanne Tobin spans over 40 years of her practice, curated by Lewers: Penrith Regional Gallery.
In key works from public and private collections, as well as newly commissioned works, Tobin turns the focus on what has long been obscured — the continuity of Dharug culture, the truth of what happened on this Country, and the determined work of reclaiming it.
Based in Western Sydney, Tobin was raised without knowledge of her Aboriginality, only discovering her heritage as an adult. Ngalawan is an emphatic declaration of Dharug cultural practice.
Opening Event 4 July 6pm-8pm
Left: Primary winner 2025
Edie Douglas, A Flower
Below: Secondary winner 2025
2026 Penrith Youth Art Prize
27 June – 9 September
This year’s theme is ‘transformation’ – young artists connected to the Penrith area are encouraged to reflect on this in their own worlds, with entries for primary and secondary ages using any 2D or 3D medium.
Penrith Open Studio
19 September – 1 November
An exhibition of work from this program for young creatives aged 12 – 17, developing their practice through mentorship from professional artists, collaboration with peers, and the creation of new work.
Exhibition
Abbie Rose, Whale Dupe
Lewers: Penrith Regional Gallery
Artist Talks and Open Days
Free entry
Biennale Open Day
13 June 10am–2pm
Celebrate the 25th Biennale of Sydney with immersive exhibitions, artist talks, interactive activities, workshops, guided tours, live music and art markets.
Suitable for all ages.
Spring Open Day
19 September 10am-2pm
Piece by Piece artist talks 21 November 2-4 pm
Term Workshops
Inspire creativity from an early age with our hands-on workshops for children aged 3 months to 12 years, offering fun, engaging art experiences in a supportive environment.
Bubs Club (3-18 months)
Tuesdays 11.30am-12.30pm $130/term
Tots Club (1.5-3 years) Tuesdays 9.30-10.30am $130/term
Art Adventure (5-8 years) Saturdays 10-11.30am $210/term
Art Odyssey (9-12 years) Wednesdays 4-5.30pm $210/term
Spring Holiday Workshops
For school holiday fun, join these art-making workshops in October inspired by our Gallery exhibitions and beautiful gardens. The ever-changing activities cater for all budding artists, from outdoor observational drawing to abstract painting, sculptural clay, stop-motion animation and more.
Bookings at penrithregionalgallery.com.au
Khalid Albaih, Haboba, Biennale of Sydney, 2026.
Maja Baska
Piece by Piece
14 November 2026 – 28 February 2027
Free entry
This major exhibition is inspired by the mosaics of artist Margo Lewers, made between 1951 and 1964 at her riverside property in Emu Plains, now Lewers: Penrith Regional Gallery. Across the Gallery’s different spaces, Piece by Piece delves into the term ‘mosaic’, celebrating the meticulously-repeated gesture to create something line by line, stitch by stitch, or piece by piece. Presenting both new commissions and major loans, this exhibition sees the ‘mosaic’ unfold in materials as disparate as marble, silk, ceramic, cardboard and plastic.
Exhibition
In partnership with the Art Gallery of NSW and with the generous support of the Sir William Dobell Art Foundation, Piece by Piece features the work of up to 25 artists including Rosalie Gascoigne, Khaled Sabsabi, Esme Timbery, Julie Gough and Vivienne Binns, with new commissions by Bria McCarthy, Ilana Lapid and Emily Galicek.
Opening Event 21 November 6pm-8pm
Summer Open Day 6 February 2027 10am-2pm
Top: Margo Lewers with mosaic, date unknown.
Right: Margo Lewers, Untitled (mosaic) c. 1955 (detail) at Lewers: Penrith Regional Gallery.
Bottom: Elyas Alavi, | Divāl, 2025 (detail). Photo: Janelle Low
Penrith Conservatorium of Music
The joy of music for everyone
Since 1990, Penrith Conservatorium of Music has empowered students of all ages through exceptional tuition, mentorship and creative opportunity. From first musical steps in early childhood to advanced ensemble performance, Penrith Con’s comprehensive music education supports every stage of learning.
Early Childhood (18 months to 5 years)
For toddlers and their grown-ups, joyful group classes accelerate musical development in young children by introducing rhythm, movement, singing and play in a warm and engaging environment.
Juniors (5 to 8 years)
Beginner instrumental group classes build strong foundations in technique, note reading, rhythm and confidence. An ideal starting point for young musicians.
Private Tuition (5+)
Individual lessons for all ages and experience levels cover a wide range of instruments and voice, with pathways for AMEB and HSC preparation, auditions, extension study or personal enjoyment.
Adults (16+)
Welcoming programs for adult learners of every level. Whether starting out, returning to music or developing existing skills, enjoy expert guidance in a supportive and social setting.
Eddy Summers
Professional Development
Future creative careers
Programs designed to nurture emerging artists, educators and arts professionals through mentorship, training and opportunity.
Composer Residency Program
Supports new Australian music through mentorship, workshops and public performance.
Ensembles
Ensemble participation develops teamwork, listening, confidence and stagecraft while giving students the opportunity to perform alongside likeminded musicians.
LiveWire Band (12 to 16 years)
A dynamic contemporary ensemble for developing instrumentalists exploring popular repertoire and collaborative performance.
Penrith Youth Orchestra (8 to 25 years)
Professional orchestral training led by experienced tutors, offering regular rehearsals and concert performances for young musicians across Western Sydney.
Valda Silvy Ensemble (14 to 18 years)
A chamber ensemble for emerging musicians developing advanced ensemble skills and performance experience.
Richard Bonynge Ensemble (17 to 25 years)
An elite chamber program for advanced young performers preparing for tertiary study and professional pathways.
Scholarships Program
Recognising and supporting outstanding young musicians through tuition assistance and performance opportunities.
Training Pathways
Hands-on experience in Stage Management, Arts Administration and Music Education, building practical skills for careers in the creative industries.
Performances
Join us for the next six months of our year-round concert program celebrating emerging talent, orchestral excellence and the next generation of musicians in Western Sydney.
Origins+
Penrith Youth Orchestra 21 June 3pm From $30
Tracing the roots of orchestral sound through Paris, Vienna, Saint Petersburg and Moscow, featuring music by Tchaikovsky and Bizet.
Prelude
Penrith Con Scholarship Students 25 June 6pm From $15
An inspiring showcase of the region’s finest young soloists, featuring 2026 Music Scholarship recipients, Con Singers Collective and special guests.
Winter Recital
Penrith Con Students
15 July 11am From $15
A heartwarming celebration of dedication and progress, from intimate solos to bold contemporary works.
Pulse+
Penrith Youth Orchestra
16 August 3pm From $30
Big sound. Big energy. Big fun. A familyfriendly afternoon of favourites from Mary Poppins to Mozart and Wagner.
Pinocchio
Richard Bonynge Ensemble
6 October 11am From $15
Alexander Litvinovsky’s Pinocchio comes to life with Richard Bonynge Ensemble and the dancers of Glenbrook Ballet Theatre in a sparkling blend of music, movement and storytelling. For children 5 and up.
Spring Recital
Valda Silvy Ensemble
7 October 11am From $15
Valda Silvy Ensemble presents music of freshness and invention, from Mozart to Beethoven’s First Symphony.
Penrith Conservatorium of Music
Modern Myths
Selina Ott with the Sydney University Symphony Orchestra
1 November 3pm From $35
Acclaimed Austrian trumpeter Selina Ott joins the Sydney University Symphony Orchestra for a program spanning Chloé Charody’s My Australia, Peskin’s Trumpet Concerto No. 1 in C minor, and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade; music of landscape, dark lyricism and vivid storytelling.
Evolve+
Penrith Youth Orchestra 15 November 3pm From $30
A powerful PYO finale featuring Beethoven, Berlioz and Holst, plus the world premiere of a new work by Penrith Con’s 2026 Young Composer in Residence Alexander Haga.
Finale
Penrith Con Scholarship Students with Con Singers Collective 10 December 6pm From $15
An uplifting end-of-year celebration showcasing Penrith Con’s outstanding scholarship musicians.
Classical Music
Penrith Symphony Orchestra
Orchestra in residence at The Joan, Penrith Symphony has brought inspiring and exciting classical music to Western Sydney for nearly 40 years.
2026 is no exception, with highlights including the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s Aiko Goto performing Beethoven’s monumental violin concerto and the drama and intrigue of Puccini’s Tosca, before ending the year with the uplifting Christmas tradition of Handel’s Messiah.
Alongside the orchestra’s own talented players, PSO continues to support and showcase outstanding guest musicians, emerging artists and young composers. These initiatives are critical in bringing new and vibrant music to the concert stage in Western Sydney.
See pso.org.au
Pops for Tots: Around The World with PSO and Emily Who 14 June 11am $25
Beethoven & Shostakovich: Masterpieces 2 August 3pm From $25
Puccini: Tosca 12 September 7.30pm From $25
Liszt, Wagner & Grieg: Death & Fate
7 November 7.30pm From $25
Handel: Messiah 6 December 3pm From $25
Omega Ensemble Inner Landscapes
16 July 7pm $39
The acclaimed chamber group brings a stirring program alive with music by John Corigliano, Jessie Montgomery and a world premiere from Australian composer Paul Stanhope. At the evening’s heart is Franz Schubert’s breath-taking String Quartet No. 14, “Death and the Maiden”, arranged for chamber orchestra by Gustav Mahler.
Sydney Symphony Orchestra with Håkan Hardenberger
7 August 7.30pm From $30.50
Described as ‘the best trumpet player in the galaxy’, Swedish virtuoso Håkan Hardenberger leads the brass and percussion musicians of the Sydney Symphony in a shimmering program showcasing the brilliant colour and depth of brass music.
Marco
Borggreve
Q Theatre
For over six decades, Q Theatre has inspired creativity and nurtured artists. With our studios and professional theatre here at The Joan, we offer diverse programs designed to connect communities through performance, including a year-round calendar of workshops to develop skills and build confidence for people of all ages and abilities.
Much more than a venue, we are a creative engine. We provide a professional platform for local artists through the Mulgoa Stories residency, where new Western Sydney narratives are nurtured from spark to stage. We also believe in the power of the next generation, hosting The RIFF for high school students to create and perform original works on our stage.
Come and experience the power and joy of performance with us.
Q offers a variety of learning experiences, from weekly drama workshops for ages 5 to adults and participants with disability, to our Agile not Fragile mature-age dance classes. Holiday workshops for drama, dance and creative development take place each school holidays, and the Q Theatre Performance Ensemble allows passionate young performers in Western Sydney to experience the thrill of working on a full-scale production in a professional theatre setting.
See thejoan.com.au/q-theatre
Eddy
Summers
Classes & Workshops
Winter school holiday workshops
Fairytales & Folklore
6-10 July
Annual Showcase 2026
19 September
Spring school holiday workshops
2 October
Peter Pan
Junior Performance Ensemble
26 & 27 November
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
13 June 1.30pm & 6pm From $30
The debut production of Q’s 2026
Youth Performance Ensembleexperience the energy and creativity of Western Sydney’s next generation of theatre-makers in this fresh interpretation of Shakespeare’s beloved comedy. Age 12 and up.
The Riff 2026: In The Making
19 June 12pm & 7pm From $25
This annual hands-on theatre program for local high schools brings young artists together with industry professionals to create and perform original works. Through collaboration, creativity and practical experience, students gain valuable insights into the rehearsal and performance processes.
Book at thejoan.com.au
Eddy Summers
SHARE OUR SPACES
Whether you’re looking for a special wedding setting, an intimate lounge for a record launch, or a full-blown concert hall presentation, it’s all here – we have the spaces, and the skilled professional staff to elevate your event.
Lewers: Penrith Regional Gallery has two light and airy studio spaces ideal for workshops, meetings, presentations and training. Café at Lewers provides a gorgeous garden setting for weddings, parties, business functions and whenever you need superb top-quality catering and service.
The Joan offers concert venues, theatres, foyers, studios and meeting rooms, as well as orchestral, ensemble and practice spaces suitable for performances, conferences, festivals, corporate functions, rehearsals and events of all shapes and sizes.
Create your special experience with us.
Photographs by Becs Viveash, Maja Baska and Rob Studdert
Support us
Penrith has always been told its stories belong somewhere else. We’ve spent 35 years proving otherwise.
At The Joan, The Con, The Q and Lewers, we don’t just present work. We make it here, with the people who live here, about the life that gets lived here. And somewhere in Western Sydney right now, a fifteen-year-old is working out who they are through music, or movement, or paint, or words on a stage. They probably don’t know yet that they need us. We already know we need them.
Your support makes the difference between that young person finding their path and missing it entirely. It funds scholarships for young artists who can’t afford to wait for permission. It makes residencies possible for the makers who need time and space, not just ambition. It opens our galleries and stages to people who’ve been told culture is for someone else, somewhere else.
Whatever you can give, give it knowing this: there is no other organisation doing this work, in this place, for these people.
Penrith’s story doesn’t tell itself. Help us tell it.
See thejoan.com.au/about/support-us
Becs Viveash
GOVERNMENT PARTNERS
PARTNERS
SUPPORTERS
The Joan
Morning Melodies: Sons of Sun
GRIMM: Tales from the Brothers Grimm
MIDDLE RAGED: A musical meltdown
Morning Melodies: Broadway’s Golden Age
Vika and Linda: Where do you come from?
Marty Sheargold: The Red Card Tour
24 June
26 June
3 & 4 July
22 July
24 July
31 July
Jonathan Biggins: The Gospel According to Paul Theatre 13-15 August
Saplings
Morning Melodies: Beatles to Bacharach
Morning Melodies: Home Grown
Where is the Green Sheep?
25 August
26 August
23 September
29 & 30 September
Wolf Dance 7 October
Morning Melodies: A Life Centre Stage
Georgie Carroll: INFECTIOUS
Morning Melodies: Piano Legends
Pevan & Sarah in Concert
Morning Melodies: A Christmas Affair
Q Theatre
28 October
14 November
25 November
26 November
16 December
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Youth Performance Ensemble) 13 June
The Riff 2026: In The Making 19 June
Winter school holiday workshops: Fairytales & Folklore 6-10 July
Annual Showcase 2026 19 September
Spring school holiday workshops 2 October
Peter Pan (Junior Performance Ensemble) 26 & 27 November
Lewers: Penrith Regional Gallery
Biennale Open Day 13 June
2026 Penrith Youth Art Prize 7 June – 9 September
Ngalawan: We Live. We Remain. Leanne Tobin 4 July – 1 November
Penrith Open Studio 19 September – 1 November
Spring Open Day 19 September
Piece by Piece 14 November 2026 – 28 February 2027
Penrith Conservatorium of Music
Penrith Youth Orchestra: Origins+ 21 June
Penrith Con Scholarship Students: Prelude 25 June
Penrith Con Students: Winter Recital 15 July
Penrith Youth Orchestra: Pulse+ 16 August
Richard Bonynge Ensemble: Pinocchio 6 October
Valda Silvy Ensemble: Spring Recital 7 October
Penrith Youth Orchestra: Evolve+ 15 November
Penrith Con Scholarship Students: Finale 10 December
Classical Music
Penrith Symphony Orchestra: Pops for Tots 14 June
Omega Ensemble: Inner Landscapes 16 July
Penrith Symphony Orchestra: Beethoven & Shostakovich 2 August
Sydney Symphony Orchestra with Håkan Hardenberger 7 August
Penrith Symphony Orchestra: Puccini’s Tosca 12 September
Sydney University Symphony Orchestra: Modern Myths 1 November
Penrith Symphony Orchestra: Liszt, Wagner & Grieg 7 November
Penrith Symphony Orchestra: Handel’s Messiah 6 December
Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre Q Theatre | Penrith Conservatorium of Music 597 High Street, Penrith 02 4723 7600 thejoan.com.au penrithconservatorium.com.au
Lewers: Penrith Regional Gallery 86 River Road, Emu Plains 02 4735 1100
penrithregionalgallery.com.au
The Joan, Penrith. Photo by Rob Studdert Back
Coppin, Juluwarlu Arts & Culture, at Lewers: Penrith Regional Gallery, 25th Biennale of Sydney opening.
Photo by Maja Baska