This summer is sizzling with talent, amazing shows and unforgettable experiences and you can catch some familiar NIDA faces at Sydney Festival from 4 – 26 January. The Sydney CBD will host a range of fantastic events from art installations and workshops to contemporary theatre and musical productions. Whether you’re a lover of the performing arts or just looking for the perfect way to enjoy a balmy January evening, here’s where you can see some of our talented NIDA graduates this month.
Step into the dazzling world of Siegfried & Roy: The Unauthorised Opera at Sydney Theatre Company, Wharf 1 Theatre, from 8 – 25 January. Helmed by acclaimed Director Constantine Costi (Directing, 2013), audiences will experience the glitzy highs and the dramatic fall of the iconic magic duo and their beloved Mantacore. With Pip Runciman’s (Design, 2002) vibrant set design capturing the electric energy of 1980s Las Vegas and Damien Cooper’s (Production, 1996) evocative lighting weaving magic and suspense, this production is a visual and emotional feast you’ll want to sink your teeth into.
For two nights only, Tina – A Tropical Love Story will play at Sydney Theatre Company, Wharf 1 Theatre. Starring Ben Graetz (Acting, 1998 & Movement, 2008) AKA Miss Ellaneous, this is the story of how a young First Nations boy in the Northern Territory found himself swept away by the legendary Tina Turner. Told through cabaret and drag, this heartfelt tribute is the story of self-discovery and transformation, peppered with deeply personal tales and plenty of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Tina – A Tropical Love Story is playing from 11 – 12 January.
From the brilliant mind of Sheridan Harbridge (Acting, 2006) come two spectacularly different theatrical productions. The bubblegum pop cabaret Christie Whelan Browne: Life in Plastic is a heart-meltingly girly musical experience that unpicks the life of Christie Whelan Browne and those milestone moments defined by Barbies, braces and endometriosis. Written and directed by Sheridan, this is one for the diary. Showing at Sydney Theatre Company only on 14 January.
Co-written and directed by Sheridan, the world premiere of A Model Murder will take place at Darlinghurst Courthouse, the very location where the true crime story came to light. Travel back 70 years to the night of 9 August 1954, when glamour model Shirley Beiger’s boyfriend, Arthur Griffith, was shot in front of one of Sydney’s ritziest nightclubs. Want to know what happened? Court is in session from 4 – 25 January.
Belvoir St Theatre presents Jacky this January, starring NIDA alumni Guy Simon (Acting, 2010), Danny Howard (Acting, graduand), and Greg Stone (Acting, 1983), with Maddison Craven (Technical Theatre and Stage Management, 2023) lending her expertise backstage. Bold, funny and deeply relevant, the play follows the witty and enterprising Jacky as he navigates Melbourne’s gig economy, cultural expectations, sex work and an unexpected visit that threatens to upend his life.
These shows are just a few of the alumni highlights from the 2025 Sydney Festival. For more details click here.
*Header Image: From left to right: Greg Stone (Acting, 1983) and Guy Simon (Acting, 2010) in Belvoir St Theatre’s production of Jacky. Photo by Pia Johnson.
