Is 2025 the year that Sydney’s theatres mix things up?

Theatre in Sydney looks set to have a refresh this year.

The past few post-covid years have seen theatre in Sydney, pay particular attention to productions that are guaranteed crowd-pleasers. This was to help boost attendance numbers and recoup some of those costs lost when theatres were put on pause. But it looks like theatergoers in Sydney (and across Australia) are in for a treat this year, with an exciting mix of new productions arriving.

And it’s not just the usual fare; programming is diversifying, with more innovative, boundary-pushing, and culturally rich works making their way into Australia’s theatre scene so lovers of musicals, comedy, romance, and beyond all have something to get their teeth into.

Grammy and Tony Award-winning musical Hadestown has recently emerged as a fast favourite for Sydney’s theatregoers. As Sydney Travel Guide publisher Peter Lynch noted in his review of the show, the show “is brilliantly energetic and a stand-out in our city’s strong season of openings kicking off 2025.”

You must’ve been living under a rock to not know how big Titanique is right now, too. The Michael Cassel Group production has been a huge hit for Redfern’s The Grand Electric, Strut & Fret’s multifaceted theatre space which feels like a mix between a Spiegeltent and an independent theatre.

The quirky production, themed on the classic Titanic love story with a satire of Celine Dion thrown in for good measure, is a belly laugh for Sydney’s musical fans and has become such a treasured moment of stage that its season was expanded from a initial limited run at the tail-end of last year to March 30.

We’re not even two months into the new year and already we’ve had a good number of show-stealers like Siegfried & Roy: An Unauthorised Opera and A Model Murder to remind us of Sydney’s high standard of quality when it comes to stage productions.

There’s much more to come, too, with new openings in the coming weeks including:

MJ The Musical

Centred around the making of the King of Pop’s 1992 Dangerous World Tour, this jukebox musical premiered in Broadway in 2021 and has been drawing in crowds at London’s West End since March 2024. And now it’s finally landing in Australia, opening at Sydney Lyric Theatre in late February.

Of course, the star’s signature sound and moves create a thrilling theatre experience, but the narrative goes beyond this to offer a look at the unparalleled artistry that propelled Michael Jackson to superstardom. Roman Banks reprises the lead role, having previously wowed audiences including Jennifer Hudson, Angela Bassett and even Jackson’s son, Prince, during the US tour run.

Where: Sydney Lyric Theatre, 55 Pirrama Rd, Pyrmont NSW 2009
When: February 26 until June 22, 2025
Price: From $70

mjthemusical.com.au

No Love Songs

Following sell-out seasons at Edinburgh Fringe, London and the US, this heart-wrenching new musical is bringing the ups and downs of modern romance to the Foundry Theatre at Sydney Lyric for five weeks. Written and inspired by the experiences of Scottish singer Kyle Falconer and his partner Laura Wilde, it’s a funny yet hard-hitting story of the twists and turns that come with long distance love.

Musician Jessie and his partner Lana are madly in love and wildly content – until Jessie gets his big break in America, leaving Lana alone with their child. Will passion see them through the emotional rollercoaster? The audience rides the waves with them, as songs from Falconer’s second solo album, No Love Songs for Laura, provide a theatrical soundtrack.

Where: Sydney Lyric Theatre, 55 Pirrama Rd, Pyrmont NSW 2009
When: March 7 until April 13, 2025
Price: From $69

foundrytheatre.com.au

Bloom 

Working Dog’s Tom Gleisner is part of the comedic genius behind Aussie classics The Castle, Frontline, The Dish and Utopia, and when Bloom premiered in Melbourne last year, it played to sold-out houses and quickly became the hottest ticket in town. So the pressure is on for its Sydney premiere .

This cheeky, cross-generational musical sees Mrs MacIntyre (Mandy McElhinney), a greedy care home worker, strike gold with a brilliant cost-cutting plan – or so she thinks… That is until twenty-something year old Finn Bailey arrives and scuppers her plans. Directed by Dean Bryant (Dear Evan Hansen), starring comedy legends including John Waters alongside MacIntrye, and maintaining Working Dog’s distinctive brand of Aussie humour, it’s bound to have audiences laughing in the aisles.

Where: Roslyn Packer Theatre, 22 Hickson Rd, Walsh Bay NSW 2000
When: March 29 until May 11, 2025
Price: $60-$155

sydneytheatrecompany.com.au

Henry 5

There’s nothing quite like a dent to a young king’s ego to start a war. When the French prince insults King Henry, who is trying to prove himself a worthy ruler, England is launched into war with its cross-Channel neighbour. William Shakespeare’s famous war play has been given a contemporary staging in Marion Potts’ new production, which is the first of three productions showing as part of Bell Shakespeare’s 35th anniversary season.

This marks Potts’ return to Bell Shakespeare, for which she was once the Associate Artistic Director and Artistic Director, after 15 years away. As well as welcoming back old talents, the production marks the main stage theatre debut for a number of cast members, including lead JK Kazzi.

Where: Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney NSW 2000
When: March 1 until April 5, 2025
Price: $142

sydneyoperahouse.com.au

Macbeth

A production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth seems to play somewhere in the city every year, with huge names including Ralph Fiennes, Indira Varma, David Tennant and Cush Jumbo all taking to Sydney’s stages in recent renditions – so it’s not exactly surprising to see this on the programming list. However, the “new” aspect of this particular production is the venue itself.

The Genesian Theatre Company is one of Sydney’s longest-running community theatre groups, formed in 1944, and has recently moved to a fantastic new venue in Rozelle. On the brand-new stage, they welcome the classic tale of murder, superstition and madness. It’s one of the greatest literary and dramatic works and is the perfect fit for the first season in the theatre’s new space.

Where: 2B Gordon St, Rozelle NSW 2039
When: March 8 until April 12, 2025
Price: From $25

genesiantheatre.com.au

4000 Miles 

Legendary stage actor Nancye Hayes hasn’t been seen in a Sydney Theatre Company production in two decades. And so her return makes Kenneth Moraleda’s 4000 Miles extra special. The production is pitched as a portrayal of love between a grandmother and grandson, lifting Amy Herzog’s tender story and expressing the themes of kinship and the need for deep, human connection in a world peppered with isolation and conflict.

Broadway World described the show as “a heartwarming and humorous tale of generations coming together,” speaking highly for the tale of 21-year-old Leo who turns up on his 91-year-old grandmother’s doorstep after a cross-country ski trip gone horribly wrong. Peppered with small, intimate moments of inter-generational familial love and tender care, the show sounds like a warm embrace and a deeply emotional journey that fills the void left behind after Dear Evan Hansen’s acclaimed run.

Where: Wharf 4/5, 15 Hickson Rd, Dawes Point NSW 2000
When: Until February 23, 2025
Price: $142

sydneytheatrecompany.com.au

Aria

David Williamson is one of Australian theatre’s greats, having written more than 50 plays across his 50-year career, so his rumoured retirement in 2020 created quite a gap. However Williamson came bursting back last year with two new plays. And his creative juices have clearly continued flowing ever since, as he presents a third world premiere this year, in Aria.

This latest play follows the matriarchal Monique, a textbook narcissist whose overbearing perfectionism and toxic attachment for her sons is in for a rude awakening. Portrayed by the irrepressibly talented Tracy Mann (whose work at Belvoir’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime is still being talked about), Monique gets a shake-up when she starts viewing her sons wives as “acquisitions for the family” as opposed to human beings.

Williamson wrote this is a dark comedy, milking plenty of laughs from the straightforward synopsis while including several clever political jabs to further stamp his reputation as one of the most elegant writers in the industry.

Where: 78 McDougall St, Kirribilli NSW 2061
When: Until March 15, 2025
Price: $104

ensemble.com.au

The Flea

Performing at Newtown’s New Theatre until March 8, James Fritz’s The Flea explores themes of justice and morality, in particular relating to punishing people for victimless ‘crimes’ such as homosexuality. Imbued with the strength and pride of Sydney Mardi Gras, the period piece follows a young telegraph messenger boy in 1989 who gets caught with 14 shilling in his pocket: payment for his assignations with men at a historic gay male brothel.

Director Patrick Kennedy uses this small moment to make large, pointed comments on both individuals and society, tackling the issue of when inherent characteristics such as sexuality are repressed by institutionalised discrimination.

Where: 542 King St, Newtown NSW 2042
When: Until March 8, 2025
Price: $37

newtheatre.org.au

The Children’s Hour

The Children’s Hour was famously banned in London and North America in 1934, but not before performing 691 shows in its initial run. Lillian Hellman’s script got her blacklisted in Hollywood once upon a time, and so this newly conceived production arrives at a powerful time with Sydney Mardi Gras currently underway.

The story follows Karen and Martha, thrust into a world of shame and a test of courage when a schoolgirl’s lie leads to extraordinary, damaging consequences. Themes of deceit, lies, homophobia and fear-mongering ensure this play’s powerful messages resonate deep, importantly absorbing current issues and asking some confronting questions. Plus, the play takes the stage at the only remaining pub theatre in Australia.

Where: 129 Dowling St, Woolloomooloo NSW 2011
When: Until March 1, 2025
Price: $82.50

oldfitztheatre.com.au