Sydney Theatre Company (STC) Artistic Director Mitchell Butel is heading into his second season at the helm, and he’s showing no signs of slowing down, bringing 13 productions to Sydney next year.
Throughout 2027, across its three venues, STC will present 13 productions, including four World Premieres of new Australian writing and six Australian premieres.
Among the big deals standing out in the announcement is the Australian premiere of OEDIPUS, with stars Heather Mitchell and Richard Roxburgh leading the performance, and the Sydney premiere of the Old Vic production of Jack Thorne’s A Christmas Carol, starring the multi-talented comedian, singer and actor, Tim Minchin.
Other highlights include the return of Kip Williams’ Olivier and Tony Award-winning The Picture of Dorian Gray, starring Nikki Shiels, the Australian premiere of The Book of Liz by Amy Sedaris and David Sedaris, plus a brand-new production of Simon Stephens’ West End and Broadway hit VANYA.
When launching the program, Butel stated,
“AI cannot do what these artists can do live on stage, and it will never be able to match the brilliance, complexity and immediacy that is created in a theatre.
Working in unison with our teams of award-winning and top-drawer creatives, our 2027 stars will bring to life thirteen magnificent theatrical stories that speak directly to the time and place in which we find ourselves – international hits, beloved classics reimagined and reborn, dramas that feel fresh as the morning and comedies that capture the zeitgeist consummately.”
We’ve summarised all 13 of the 2027 productions making their way to Sydney Theatre Company’s beloved theatres, so you can pick and choose what to see ahead of next year.
Oedipus
One of the most exciting things about the Australian premiere of Oedipus is that beloved stars Helen Mitchel and Richard Roxburgh will be reuniting for the first time in 30 years to take on the lead roles.
Celebrated writer-director Robert Icke (1984, Oresteia, The Doctor) has already won acclaim for this production in the West End and on Broadway, reimagining the ancient myth of Oedipus as a gripping contemporary political thriller. Set on election night, as tensions run high and Oedipus’ nearest and dearest gather, the evening will change the family forever.
Where: Roslyn Packer Theatre.
When: January 27-February 28, 2027.
Logan St
Described as “one of the most warmly received new Australian plays of 2026”, Logan St follows a young First Nations woman, Dulcie, and a 60-year-old Afghan cameleer, Goolie. They first meet in 1941, when Dulcie helps herself to one of the pomegranates growing in Goolie’s garden.
A friendship blossoms that will last for decades, full of recipe swapping, cooking together, and sharing stories of communities and culture. Adelaide’s Logan St was known as ‘Little Beirut’ in the 1940s, and the sensational Jacob Boehme’s stage play invites audiences into the neighbourhood’s kitchens in this heartwarming production of human connection.
Where: Wharf 1 Theatre.
When: February 5- March 7.
Becky Shaw
Becky Shaw was written by two-time Pulitzer Prize nominee and screenwriter Gina Gionfriddo, the woman behind House of Cards and Law and Order, so you can expect sharp commentary combined with witty (and sometimes dark) comedy in this production.
Loosely based on William Thackeray’s novel Vanity Fair, this production of Becky Shaw will be directed by STC’s very own Artistic Director, with Andrea Demetriades (Home, I’m Darling, The River) stepping into the lead role of Suzanna. She’s joined by stage and screen star Lincoln Younes (Last King of the Cross) and a cast of three actors.
The plot follows Suzanna’s relationship with her acid-tongued foster brother. Her dependence on him in the aftermath of her father’s death grows and spills into something “not exactly sibling-like”, even when Suzanna marries the sweet-hearted Andrew. What could go wrong?
Where: Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House.
When: February 15-March 25.
The Palace Letters
Making its world premiere at Sydney Opera House’s Drama Theatre, The Palace Letters, which was adapted from the book by Jenny Hocking, follows historian Jenny Hocking’s fight to uncover the truth about Gough Whitlam’s dismissal, tracing a web of intrigue that leads all the way to Buckingham Palace.
Written by Melanie Tait (The Appleton Ladies’ Potato Race) and directed by Priscilla Jackman (RBG: Of Many, One), this witty, fast-paced political thriller shines a spotlight on a pivotal moment in Australian history, bringing the story to the stage as a new Sydney Theatre Company commission.
Where: Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House.
When: April 6-May 22.
Amah and Nanna
Continuing the theme of family, which many of the STC 2027 productions have in common, Amah and Nanna sees Aussie entertainment icons Annette Shun Wah (Floating Life, Eat Carpet) and Gold Logie-winner Lynne McGranger (Home and Away) as two women from very different worlds who realise they have a lot in common.
Written by Disapol Savetsila (the youngest playwright ever programmed at STC), this relevant yet darkly comic thriller follows two spirited seniors as they navigate a very unlikely friendship and a cross-country road trip to the Red Centre.
Where: Wharf 1 Theatre.
When: April 10-May 16.
Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries
Who doesn’t love a murder mystery? This glittering world premiere production, written by Deb Cox (co-creator of the original hit series with Fiona Eagger), is all about Kerry Greenwood’s chic lady detective sailing to the South Seas. It’s 1929, and a murder, a jewel robbery, and rumours of a mysterious curse throw the cruise ship’s crew and passengers into a state of uproar.
The best description to get you excited? “Think Knives Out, only with cloche hats and fox stoles”.
Where: Roslyn Packer Theatre.
When: May 8-June 13.
The Book of Liz
This cult off-Broadway comedy is from the brains of David Sedaris and his writer-actor sister Amy, so you know it’s going to be hilarious. Starring comic sensation Celeste Barber, Sister Elizabeth Donderstock runs away from herAmish-like community after she’s forced to give up her recipe for cheese balls, the town’s chief export. Clueless about the modern world (and sex), the Sister is in for a wild ride.
On the road, she encounters a series of eccentric characters, including a Ukrainian migrant who sounds like Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins and wears a peanut costume to spruce up the themed restaurant that Liz may soon be managing. It’s weird, wacky and exactly what the Sydney theatre scene needs.
Where: Wharf 1 Theatre.
When: May 29-July 4.
The Picture of Dorian Gray
One of Sydney Theatre Company’s biggest international success stories returns to where it all started, following sold-out runs on the West End and Broadway.
Kip Williams’ global smash-hit cine-theatre adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s story will star Nikki Shiels as the wrinkle-free Dorian Gray. Beautiful but impressionable, Dorian falls under the malign influence of Lord Henry Wotton and descends into a life of hedonism.
Shiels, who was the alternate performer during the 2022 Sydney and Melbourne seasons, is ready to prove herself as one of Australia’s most exciting theatrical talents as she takes on the coveted role at Roslyn Packer Theatre.
Where: Roslyn Packer Theatre.
When: June 30-July 25.
The Fifth Step
In this exciting Australian premiere, this darkly hilarious two-hander follows a young man and his Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor, played by Erik Thomson (Aftertaste, Packed to the Rafters) and Ashan Kumar (Amber, Daytime Deewane).
When Luka (Kumar) asks the older James (Thomson) to sponsor him, Luka is forced to navigate the control that James exerts over his life and relationships. James starts preparing Luka for the fifth step, the confessional stage in the AA program, but rigorous honesty is harder than it looks, and James has secrets of his own. Resentment mounts, trust falters, and the men inch closer to outright war.
Where: Wharf 1 Theatre.
When: July 31-September 19.
John Proctor is the Villain
As someone who also studied The Crucible at school, I’m very excited to see this “funny and ferocious” Australian production of the Broadway and West End knockout, John Proctor is the Villain.
The story follows a group of young students studying The Crucible while navigating sex, gossip and fractured friendships of their own. When shocking accusations erupt in the classroom and the community takes sides, Arthur Miller’s classic takes on new resonance, forcing the students to confront the uncomfortable parallels between the play and their own lives.
Where: Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House.
When: September 3-October 16.
Vanya
This Olivier Award-winning one-woman play stars the incredible Eryn Jean Norvill (aka the original star of The Picture of Dorian Gray) in this bold adaptation of Chekhov’s 1898 tragicomedy.
In the play, Vanya runs the country estate of acclaimed filmmaker Alexander, alongside his daughter Sonia, who is in love with local doctor Michael. But Michael has fallen for Alexander’s much younger wife, Helena, who Vanya also secretly loves (yes, it’s very messy.
As the tangled relationships unravel, Chekhov’s familiar story gets a sharp, modern twist in Simon Stephen’s adaptation, balancing heartbreak with plenty of mischief.
Where: October 15-December 5.
When: Wharf 1 Theatre.
The Bookbinder of Jericho
Adapted by the playwright and creative team behind the theatrical hit The Dictionary of Lost Words, the team has reunited to bring Pip Williams’ companion novel, The Bookbinder of Jericho, to the stage.
The production will make its hotly anticipated world premiere next year, transporting audiences to Oxford, where working-class twins Peggy and Maude live on a narrowboat at the advent of the First World War. The sisters work at the university press binding books, but the smart Peggy longs for more.
Peggy begins to see the possibility of another life, one in which she can use her brains instead of her fingers. But will her love for a Belgian soldier be her salvation or her downfall?
Where: Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House.
When: October 23-December 11.
A Christmas Carol
One of the most highly anticipated performances of the Sydney Theatre Company’s 2027 season will be the multi-talented Tim Minchin (most definitely one of your dad’s favourite artists) taking on Ebenezer Scrooge.
This magical show, suitable for the whole family, is the perfect way to get into the holiday spirit. Watch as the miserly Scrooge is called upon by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future, who force him to reckon with regret and loss.
Written by superstar playwright and screenwriter Jack Thorne (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Netflix’s Adolescence) and directed by Matilda The Musical mastermind Matthew Warchus, this stunningly immersive festive favourite is not one to miss.
Where: Roslyn Packer Theatre.
When: November 11-December 26.
