Hayes Theatre Co today announced its 2027 season, the company’s biggest yet, expanding beyond its Potts Point home with work presented at larger Sydney venues under the banner Hayes in New Places while continuing an expansive program at the Hayes Theatre. Artistic Directors Richard Carroll and Victoria Falconer, in their final year as ADs, will lead a season of new work, reimaginings, classics and major theatrical events.
Leading the season is Steven Kramer’s Phar Lap: The Electro-Swing Musical, starring Joel Granger, returning to Sydney for an expanded staging at Carriageworks from 8 July to 8 August ahead of a national tour culminating at Melbourne Theatre Company. Phar Lap previously received rave reviews, sold-out seasons and awards; the 2027 staging is on a larger scale.
The Foundry Theatre will be transformed into an underground bar in October for Mack The Knife, a major new work by Richard Carroll, Victoria Falconer and Jordan Shea that re-imagines The Threepenny Opera. Beginning as an immersive promenade experience, it evolves into a rock-cabaret musical shaped by the audience each night.
At the Hayes Theatre in Potts Point, the season of eight productions spans cabaret, comedy, opera, contemporary musical theatre and drama. The year opens with Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door, a new cabaret-concert directed by Hayden Tonazzi with arrangements and musical direction by Steven Kramer (three-week season from 13 January). February and March feature Claudia Barrie’s Lucky Stiff, followed by the return of House of Rot after its sell-out at the 2026 Winter Cabaret Festival. May presents the Australian premiere of the folk epic Swept Away (directed by Drew Livingston), followed in July by Jacinta John’s production of Pulitzer Prize-winning Next to Normal.
In August Matthew Barclay presents a technicolour reimagining of Mozart’s Così fan tutte or The School for Lovers. September brings Cameron Mitchell directing and choreographing the sci-fi satire Be More Chill, and the season closes with Flowers for Mrs Harris starring Rachael Beck and directed by Julia Robertson.
Hayes will again present two major festivals: the Festival of New Work returns for its fourth year extended to three weeks, and the Winter Cabaret Festival returns in June rebranded as Flare. Regular Hayes events include three Neglected Musicals (1776 in March, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum in May and Dames at Sea in October), Theys at the Hayes and Victoria Falconer’s Parlour Night for Mardi Gras 2027, plus returning favourites Musical Bang Bang, Home Grown, An Evening With and Carols by Cabaret. Subscriptions are on sale from Monday 14 September, with single tickets on sale at various times in coming months. Phar Lap single tickets are available now from https://hayestheatre.com.au/event/phar-lap-2027-carriageworks/.
With its most expansive program yet, Hayes Theatre Co’s 2027 season is presented as an invitation to discover music theatre in new places, in new forms and at every scale while continuing to champion artists, audiences and Australian work.
