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.

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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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Theatresports Celebrity Fun-raiser: Comedy For A Cause – Enmore Theatre 27 Sept

Feature-Celebrity TheatreSports™ 2026

Teams of Impro Legends mixed with Celebrity Guests go head-to-head in a battle of wits—competing for audience laughs and the judges’ scores. All in a quest to win the coveted Celebrity TheatreSports™ Cup …and support a wonderful cause, Canteen.

It’s Thank God You’re Here meets Whose Line Is It Anyway? You’ll see teams thrown in the deep end to play classic & audience favourite TheatreSports™ games, comic scenes, songs, epic adventures & improvised musicals with a twist. See who can make the audience (and the judges) laugh loudest!

Here are just some of our Celebrity Guests taking up the challenge*:
Andrew Redmayne (Socceroos Goalkeeper – “The Grey Wiggle”), Rob ‘Millsy’ Mills (Australian Idol, Wicked, star of stage/screen), Susan Prior (The Rover, award winning film, theatre & TV actor), Joji Malani (aka Pei, original legendary guitarist, Gang Of Youths), Adam Spencer (maths geek, comedian, radio/TV presenter), Genevieve Hegney (Colin From Accounts, Logie winner, comedy icon), James Galea (award-winning magician, writer, producer), Harry Jun (comedian, cartoonist), Gary Eck (comedian, actor & writer: Happy Feet 2), Felix Williamson (Underbelly, actor/writer), Daniel Cordeaux (Thank God You’re Here, World Impro Champion), Elliot Ulm (Graphic Design Live, TheatreSports champion, comedian), Ryan Atkins (‘Gen Y Ry’ from Gold101.7 Jonesy & Amanda).
Directed/Produced by Julie Dunsmore & Michael Gregory.

Starring TheatreSports™/Impro Legends: Jacqui Bramwell, David Callan, Ewan Campbell, Kate Coates, Sophie Douglas, Murray Fahey, John Knowles, Steve Lynch, Sophea Op, Charlie Papps, Amy Tustian, Linette Voller.

Plus weird and wonderful audio challenges for the teams from: Kitty Flanagan, Amanda Keller, Rove McManus, Susie Youssef, Cameron Daddo and more.
(*Cast subject to change without notice)

“A wit-walloping, brain-scrambling, spectacle of comedic genius!” – What’s On Sydney

*Canteen supports young people (aged 12-25) when cancer turns their world upside down.

Celebrity TheatreSports™ promotes the vital work of this youth led organisation, raising awareness of the unique challenges young people face and how Canteen has helped in navigating the impacts on their lives.

Celebrity Theatresports
Sun 27 Sept 4pm
Enmore Theatre, 118 Enmore Rd, Newtown
Tickets: $35-$70 plus booking fee.
Bookings: www.ticketek.com.au or Enmore Theatre Ph: 9550 3666

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How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying Opens At Hayes Theatre Tonight

Feature-How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying officially opens tonight at Hayes Theatre Co, bringing one of musical theatre’s most enduring comedies of ambition and office politics to the stage. Winner of seven Tony Awards, this razor-sharp musical comedy proves that climbing the corporate ladder can be every bit as entertaining as it is unpredictable. Tickets are on sale now and selling fast at hayestheatre.com.au.

Award-winning director Cameron Mitchell (Tootsie, Putting It Together) reunites the leading men from his acclaimed production of Catch Me If You Can for How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Leading the company is Home and Away alumnus Jake Speer (Kinky Boots, Barefoot in the Park) as the ambitious and resourceful J. Pierrepont Finch, opposite acclaimed stage and screen performer, Simon Burke (WICKED, Moulin Rouge) as the formidable company president, J.B. Biggley. They are joined by Georgia Laga’aia (Dear Evan Hansen) as the devoted Rosemary Pilkington and Lucy Lalor (The Prom) as the glamorous Hedy LaRue.

The executive team is brought to life by an outstanding supporting cast, with Wayne Scott Kermond (Hot Shoe Shuffle) taking on the dual roles of Mr. Twimble and Mr. Womper, Max Macdonald (Tootsie) as Budd Frump, Stacey Thomsett (Rent) as Smitty, Noni McCallum (Beetlejuice) as Miss Jones and Play School alumnus Kaeng Chan (Miss Saigon) as Mr. Bratt. Madeline Pratt (Annie) plays Miss Krumholtz, Taye Grant (Back to the Future) appears as Mr. Overington, and Zachary Webster (Chicago) returns to the Hayes as Mr. Gatch while also serving as Assistant Choreographer. Completing the company are ensemble members Katie Green (Tootsie), Kye Hall (Tootsie), and Kristina McNamara, who returns to the Hayes following her recent acclaimed performance in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, performing in the ensemble while also taking on the role of Assistant Director.

A satire of big business and all it holds sacred, How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying follows the rise of J. Pierrepont Finch, who uses a quirky instructional guide to climb the corporate ladder from lowly window washer to high-powered executive, tackling such familiar but potent dangers as the aggressively compliant “company man,” the office party, backstabbing coworkers, caffeine addiction and, of course, true love.

Featuring classic songs including I Believe in You, Brotherhood of Man and The Company Way, this comic gem of a musical features a score by Frank Loesser and book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert. First staged on Broadway in 1961, How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying won the Tony Award for Best Musical and a Pulitzer Prize. Subsequently it has been revived on Broadway, most recently starring Daniel Radcliffe and Tony Award winner John Laroquette. Last seen on Australian stages in 1963, this new production promises to get toes tapping funny bones aching and audiences falling in love all over again with this gloriously irreverent take on ambition, office politics and the pursuit of success.

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is a rollicking comic delight of satire and song—a joyful, knowing wink to the ambitious window washer lurking inside us all.

Producer: LPD Productions
Director and Choreographer: Cameron Mitchell
Musical Supervisor: Damon Wade
Musical Director: Kimberley Gilbert
Set Designer: Domonic Foffani
Costume Designer: Christine Mutton
Lighting Designer: Peter Rubie
Associate Producer: Kelsi Boyden
Assistant Director: Kristina McNamara
Assistant Choreographer: Zachary Webster

Season details
Venue: Hayes Theatre Co, 19 Greenknowe Ave, Potts Point
Season: To 27 September
Times: Wed-Sat 7.30pm, Thurs 1pm, Sat 1.30pm & Sunday 2pm
Price: Previews from $75; In season prices Adult from $84 Concession from $75
Bookings: www.hayestheatre.com.au | (02) 8065 7337

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