Monty Python’s Spamalot Arrives In Melbourne

Feature-Monty Python’s SPAMALOT

Rehearsals are about to kick off in Melbourne at the end of August as Monty Python’s SPAMALOT prepares to open at the historic Athenaeum Theatre this September. Preview performances will begin on September 17 ahead of the official opening night on Saturday, September 19. The Tony Award-winning Best Musical has recently extended its Melbourne run through October 11, following extraordinary ticket sales and demand.

Following the Melbourne season, the production will gallop into Sydney for two engagements: first at the Sydney Event Centre at The Star Sydney from October 15–18, followed by Western Sydney’s Coliseum Theatre from October 22–25, 2026.

The Melbourne season will see this incredibly diverse and talented cast take to the stage, led by Australian screen and television icon Stephen Curry, who will make his musical theatre debut, stepping into the regal shoes of King Arthur. Sharing the spotlight with Stephen will be powerhouse vocalist Jaz Flowers, who makes her highly anticipated return to the stage after a decade, as the enchanting Lady of the Lake for the Melbourne season.

Seasoned performer and Perth standout, Jamie Rolton will reprise the hilarious role of Patsy opposite Stephen Curry’s bumbling King Arthur. Joining them is a talented community of hilarious performers that includes rising stand-up comedian and Tik Tok sensation Nick White, tackling the formidable role of Man of Many Characters; NIDA Graduate and up and coming performer Gareth Isaac as Sir Robin; emerging star and WAAPA graduate Jesse Vasiliadas as Sir Lancelot; with Perth season alumni Noah Skape as Sir Galahad and Ethan Jones as Sir Bedevere respectively. Rounding out our talented ensemble is Grace Williams, Emily Huynh, Danielle Gibson, Jacinta Tsakalos, Will Basson, Jack Coyne, Dominique Hamilton and Ethan Churchill.

Producer/Director Drew Anthony said, “Following our sold-out critically acclaimed Perth season it is my absolute pleasure to be bringing this gem-of-a-show to Melbourne and Sydney. Not only is Spamalot a celebration of all things Monty Python it is also a wonderful love letter to the musical theatre genre. All of the characters and quotes from the source film will keep audiences laughing and wanting more.”

MONTY PYTHON’S SPAMALOT features Eric Idle’s book and lyrics alongside a score by Idle and John Du Prez, offering a hilarious and irreverent parody of musical theatre filled with show-stopping vocals and tap-dancing knights. A contemporary landmark, SPAMALOT won three Tony Awards after its 2005 Broadway debut.

MONTY PYTHON’S SPAMALOT will play at the Athenaeum Theatre from 16 September until 4 October. The show will play at the Sydney Event Centre at the Star Sydney from 15 – 18 October, before transferring to Coliseum Theatre in Western Sydney where it will play from 22 – 25 Oct 2026.

Tickets will go on sale to the general public for Melbourne on Friday 19 June and for Sydney on Monday 29 June via www.ticketmaster.com.au.

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Phar Lap: The Electro Swing Musical Returns In 2027

Feature-Phar Lap: The Electro-Swing Musical

Hayes Theatre Co is thrilled to announce the award-winning sold-out hit of 2025, Phar Lap: The Electro-Swing Musical, will return in 2027. This new Australian musical with the biggest heart returns to Sydney in an expanded, unbridled production playing at Carriageworks, before a national tour including a season at Melbourne Theatre Company, Merrigong Theatre Company, Geelong
Arts Centre, The Art House Wyong, and many more.

A gangly Kiwi racehorse. A trainer down on his luck. A nation ready to believe in a long-shot. Phar Lap: The Electro-Swing Musical is the rags-to-riches story that galloped into history, reimagined with heart, wit and a toe-tapping electro-swing score. The road isn’t easy – there are gambling scandals, double-crosses, an attempted shooting and a career-threatening addiction to sugar. It’s high stakes, high drama and highly historically accurate.

Phar Lap boasts an irresistible electro-swing score by Steven Kramer, with inspirations from Duke Ellington to Daft Punk. Brassy, lively and retro – these songs will take you from the race course to the rave hall.

It was an unprecedented sold-out hit at Hayes in 2025, and now Phar Lap gallops back to Sydney, again starring New Zealand born but Australian claimed triple threat Joel Granger (Guys and Dolls, The Book of Mormon) as the titular hero.

Winner of three 2025 Sydney Theatre Awards including Best Production of a Musical, Best Direction of a Musical (Sheridan Harbridge) and Best Performance in a Leading Role in a Musical (Joel Granger), Phar Lap swaps horse shoes for tap shoes celebrating Australia’s big-hearted equine hero.

★★★★★ “Phar Lap is everything you’d expect from the Hayes – irreverent, funny, slightly chaotic – but the elegant story-telling, lovable characters and electric performances take it to the next level.” – Sydney Morning Herald
★★★★★ “Dazzlingly clever.” – Stage Noise
★★★★☆ “Likely to gallop into Australian musical theatre history … an odds-on favourite to sell out
as soon as it leaves the starting gates.” – Limelight
★★★★☆ “Steven Kramer delivers a remarkable trifecta: great music, sharp lyrics, and an
outrageously bonkers book to match.” – Cultural Binge

“Phar Lap is a really special show – it’s funny, it’s clever, it’s undeniably unique – and truly deserving of the praise it’s received as a new Australian classic. Audiences at our Hayes season were genuinely bowled over by this energetic, irreverent telling of a story that’s so deeply ingrained in our collective culture – so it’s very exciting that many more people will now have the chance to see it.” – Richard Carroll and Victoria Falconer, Artistic Directors, Hayes Theatre Co.

Pop the champagne, harness up and get ready for a wild ride. Phar Lap: The Electro-Swing Musical is the show that will stop the nation in 2027!

PHAR LAP: THE ELECTRO-SWING MUSICAL
Book, Music and Lyrics by Steven Kramer
Director: Sheridan Harbridge
Musical Supervisor: David Gardos
Musical Director: David Youings
Choreographer: Ellen Simpson
Set Designer: Hailley Hunt
Costume Designer: Mason Browne
Lighting Designer: Trent Suidgeest
Sound Designer: Liam Roche
Arranger and Orchestrator: Jack Earle
Orchestrator and Track Producer: Steve Toulmin
Starring Joel Granger

SEASON DETAILS
Venue:
Carriageworks, 245 Wilson St, Eveleigh
Season:
8 July – 8 August 2027
Times:
Tues 6.30pm, Wed-Sat 7.30pm, Wed & Sat 2pm, Sun 5pm
Price:
From $94 Adult, $84 Concession/Group, $79 Under 35
Bookings:
www.hayestheatre.com.au | (02) 8065 7337
TICKETS ON SALE NOW FROM https://hayestheatre.com.au/event/phar-lap-2027-carriageworks/

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New Australian Musical Silver Tongue Announces Full Cast Ahead Of World Premiere

Feature-Silver Tongue

Hayes Theatre Co is set to welcome a bold new Australian musical this November with the full cast announcement for Silver Tongue, a new work by breakout Australian talents Miranda Middleton, Jacob Parker and Alec Steedman, developed by Hayes Theatre Co over several years. Opening 13 November, Silver Tongue brings together a stellar ensemble of actors, musicians and music-makers to tell a new Australian story through an original score. Tickets are now available at hayestheatre.com.au.

Leading the cast in the title role of Silver Tongue is Billie Palin (Pirates of Penzance). Natalie Abbott (Muriel’s Wedding) plays Dick, alongside Marty Alix (Hamilton) as Jim.

Co-Artistic Director Victoria Falconer (My Brilliant Career) takes on the role of Peg, while also serving as Music Director, with Jack Green (Bright Star) playing Squire / Dad. The ensemble is completed by Tana Laga’aia (Jesus Christ Superstar) as Hands and also serving as Assistant Music Director with Shannen Alyce Quan (Little Women) as Livesey. Composer Alec Steedman (Bright Star) will also appear on stage on violin, with Lawrence Hawkins (RENT) joining the production as a standby.

Silver Tongue.png

A bold, funny, wryly inventive, and gloriously offbeat re-imagining of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island – new musical Silver Tongue rips up the map and re-draws the legend with killer songs, knockabout humour, and a touch of that special Hayes Theatre magic. The story follows Jim – a young person adrift in the world, wrestling with questions of ambition and identity as they chase after a map and a myth – and the notorious Silver Tongue – a salty, swaggering, magnetic pirate queen who’s equal parts mentor, menace and mystery. This unlikely duo set off on a rollicking treasure hunt, where double- and triple-crossing soon see them diving into uncharted waters, and ultimately into a whole new quest for truth, redemption, and the chance to write their own story.

Co-Artistic Director of Hayes Theatre Co, Richard Carroll (Pirates of Penzance, Calamity Jane), directs this bold new work. They are joined by Movement Director Vi Lam (Miss Saigon), and Assistant Director and co-writer Miranda Middleton (Bright Star).

“This extraordinary show captures everything we love about music theatre – it’s epic, silly, imaginative, ambitious, hilarious, moving, and so much more. From hearing the first notes of Alec’s beautiful song “Write My Story”, we knew this ingenious re-telling of the story of Treasure Island belonged on the Hayes stage.” – Richard Carroll, Director.

“Alec, alongside co-writers Miranda and Jacob have created a real rollicking tale with a rich, sea shanty-infused, folky-orchestral score; it’s been a pleasure to develop it with them over the past few years. We can’t wait to bring the tale to life with our brave and brilliant team of actor-musicians.” – Victoria Falconer, Music Director.

Get ready for a wet, wild and witty voyage packed with big ideas, whip-smart dialogue and punchy, genre-blending songs. With its bold new sound and irreverent spirit, Silver Tongue joins the next wave of original Australian music theatre, bringing fresh voices and an original score to the Hayes stage.

Website: hayestheatre.com.au

SILVER TONGUE
Book by Jacob Parker and Miranda Middleton
Music and Lyrics by Alec Steedman
Co-Writer Jacob Parker
Co-Writer / Assistant Director Miranda Middleton
Composer / Co-Arranger Alec Steedman
Director Richard Carroll
Music Director / Co-Arranger Victoria Falconer
Movement Director Vi Lam
Set Designer Hailley Hunt
Costume Designer Sam Hernandez
Lighting Designer Ryan McDonald
Sound Designer Daniel Herten
Fight Director Tim Dashwood
Assistant Music Director Tana Laga’aia
Production Manager Damion Holling

SEASON DETAILS
Venue: Hayes Theatre Co, 19 Greenknowe Ave, Potts Point
Season: 13 November to 12 December
Times: Monday 6.30pm, Tues-Sat 7.30pm, Thurs 1pm & Sat 2pm
Price: Previews from $74; in season prices: Adult from $79 Concession from $69, Under 35 from $60
Bookings: www.hayestheatre.com.au | (02) 8065 7337

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Japan Jazz Nights: Celebrating 50 Years Of Australia–Japan Friendship; Tour Dates Announced!

Feature-Japan Jazz Nights

Discover the next generation of Japan’s thriving jazz scene with Japan Jazz Nights, a large-scale touring performance series that will take place across seven Australian cities in October 2026: Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.

Presented by The Japan Foundation (JF) and Eight Islands Co., Japan Jazz Nights is being held in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Basic Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between Japan and Australia. This exciting lineup features four groundbreaking Japanese artists at the forefront of the contemporary jazz scene: BIGYUKI, STEREO CHAMP, Tenors In Chaos and Misaki UMEI.

Japanese jazz has recently enjoyed a resurgence in popularity worldwide, with growing attention being paid to its contemporary scene. Starting with BIGYUKI’s performance at Melbourne International Jazz Festival, this extensive national tour gives Australians the rare chance to experience firsthand the creativity, diversity and vitality of contemporary Japanese Jazz.

Japan Jazz Nights will also include exciting collaborations with local Australian artists at performances throughout the tour. Through the universal language of music, this initiative aims to foster meaningful connections between Japan and Australia and strengthen cultural ties between the two countries.

For both longtime jazz lovers and newcomers to the genre, Japan Jazz Nights is an unmissable opportunity to experience these musical icons, as they showcase the beauty of their craft and shape the future sound of modern jazz.

Japan Jazz Nights Touring Schedule
Date: October 16, 2026 (Fri), Doors 8pm
Venue: Max Watt’s (Melbourne)
Performers: BIGYUKI
Event: Melbourne International Jazz Festival
Event Website / Tickets: BIGYUKI – Melbourne International Jazz Festival

Date: October 17, 2026 (Sat), 1pm – 5pm
Venue: Fed Square (Melbourne)
Performers: BIGYUKI
Event: Melbourne International Jazz Festival
Event Website: Free Jazz at Fed Square – Melbourne International Jazz Festival
Admission: Free

Date: October 18, 2026 (Sun), 7pm
Venue: Oddio (Adelaide)
Performers: BIGYUKI
Event: Adelaide International Jazz Festival
Event Website: TBA
Tickets: AIJF Presents: Japan Jazz Nights – BIGYUKI

Date: October 19, 2026 (Mon)
City: Sydney
Details: TBA

Date: October 22, 2026 (Thur), 7pm
Venue: Chapel Off Chapel (Melbourne)
Performers: Tenors In Chaos, STEREO CHAMP, Misaki UMEI
Event: Melbourne International Jazz Festival
Event Website / Tickets: Tenors in Chaos + Stereo Champ + Misaki Umei – Melbourne International Jazz Festival

Date: October 23, 2026 (Fri) 10pm
Venue: Liberty Theatre (Perth)
Performers: BIGYUKI
Event: Perth International Jazz Festival
Event Website: BIGYUKI (JPN) • Perth International Jazz Festival
Tickets: Megatix – BIGYUKI (JPN)

Date: October 23, 2026 (Fri)
City: Brisbane
Details: TBA

Date: October 23, 2026 (Fri)
Venue: Molly (Canberra)
Performers: STEREO CHAMP
Details: TBA

Date: October 24, 2026 (Sat)
Venue: Canberra Nara Peace Park (Canberra)
Performers: STEREO CHAMP
Event: Canberra Nara Candle Festival
Event Website: Canberra Nara Candle Festival | Canberra Nara Candle Festival
Admission: Free

Date: October 25, 2026 (Sun), 7pm
Venue: Liberty Theatre (Perth)
Performers: Tenors In Chaos, UMEI Misaki
Event: Perth International Jazz Festival
Event Website: Japan Jazz Nights • Perth International Jazz Festival
Tickets: Megatix – Japan Jazz Nights

Date: October 25, 2026 (Sun), 7pm – 8:30pm
Venue: The Barn (Hobart)
Performers: BIGYUKI
Event: CJF Presents
Event Website: BIGYUKI (JPN/USA) – Rosny Farm
Tickets: Tickets for CJF Presents 2026

Date: October 29, 2026 (Thur) 7pm – 10pm
Venue: Heaps Normal Health Club (Sydney)
Performers: UMEI Misaki, Cracked Suzies
Event: Sydney International Women’s Jazz Festival
Event Website: Misaki Umei x Cracked Suzies | SIMA
Tickets: Tickets for Misaki Umei & Cracked Suzies + Dorka

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