Kirribilli’s much loved Ensemble Theatre has launched its 2027 season which promises an exceptional year of theatre, with world premieres, beloved classics, and fresh adaptations from some of Australia’s most exciting playwrights alongside renowned international voices.
“For me, it’s about variety,” says the Ensemble’s artistic director Mark Kilmurry. “You don’t want a whole season of drama, a whole season of comedy or a whole season of new work. You want to have a variety so people can pick and choose.”
Mark first joined the Ensemble as an actor in 2002, became associate director in 2005 and artistic director in 2016. His goal is to have a theatre of creative excellence, where the writing, acting, and directing is at its best. He asks himself three questions when planning a season.
“What play are we going to do? Who will be in it or direct it? Will people come to see it?” says Mark. “And the third question is important because it can be a terrific play, but you think, ‘I might not be able to get an audience to come along to see this.’ So that would probably not make the list.”
Mark’s shortlist could have up to 30 plays, from which the 10-play season will be chosen.
He commissions two new plays per year. I feel like new plays are the lifeblood of theatre,” says Mark. “Those plays go on to other theatres and have their own life.”
The 2027 season will open with David Williamson’s brand-new play Sleeping Dogs, about fame, family and long buried secrets.
Yasmina Reza’s Life x 3 offers three versions of the same socially awkward evening, each more revealing and hilarious than the last. The season continues with Brittanie Shipway’s fabulous new Australian hairdressing comedy, Split Ends, set in a small-town salon where old ways meet new trends. Mark thinks this ‘says something about Australia.’
Peter Quilter’s hugely successful End of the Rainbow shines the spotlight on Judy Garland’s final appearances, featuring iconic songs and zinging one-liners.
Mark likes to include a classic and is very excited to direct Hedda Gabler as it has been on his bucket list for a long time. He describes it as a ‘gripping drama of control consequence and bloody-mindedness.’
“Hedda is hilarious; she’s one of the greatest characters in theatre,” says Mark. “Michael Muir did this translation in the 1960s and it was a big success. For me, he has captured Ibsen’s play really well in translation. So, I’m thrilled about that. I love Hedda.”
Next, it’s David Williamson’s sharp social lens in his very funny take on Money and Friends. This is followed by Bombshells 2 by Joanna Murray-Smith, a ‘sharp, funny and deeply human portrait of five contemporary women.’
The Year in Tatters: 2027 Revue offers its signature satire to the year. Noël Coward’s Fallen Angels is a comedy of manners where two women’s friendship unravels over an evening, with delicious wit and comic misunderstandings and the 2027 season will close with Robert Lord’s Joyful and Triumphant, a beautiful, timeless Christmas story that follows one family through four decades of holiday celebrations, mishaps, and memories.
The Ensemble is the longest continuously running professional theatre in Australia, and making theatre welcoming and inclusive is the Ensemble’s mission.
“The space is welcoming,” says Mark. “You feel you’re sharing whatever might be on the stage, and wherever the play is set, you’re a part of their lives. That intimacy is really special at the Ensemble.”
Subscribe to three or more plays to unlock great savings, enjoy exclusive benefits, and secure the best seats in the house. Bayly’s Bistro offers pre-theatre dinner too.
Box Office: 8918 3400
Visit ensemble.com.au
