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

11/09/2026 Breaking News

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.

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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Behind Their Closed Doors

09/09/202609/09/2026 Catherine Wright🌟⚡🎭

Behind Their Closed Doors Rating

★★★★★

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Welcome to a new short and sharp Australian musical and get your tickets to support a world premiere! Seven strangers catch the train, each deep in their own worlds and worries until one passenger innocently breaks through the social barriers. They are told to board and leave emotional baggage behind but that is impossible.

Kudos to Producer and Playwright, Anna Notley and Musical Director, Composer and Pianist, Analise Wren (accompanied by guitarist, Abby McKimmie), for presenting new songs and leaping into the world of a mini Broadway-style musical. With hints of ‘Rent’, ‘Hairspray’ and a little of Sara Bareilles, we travelled with the passengers as each revealed their hidden selves.

Each character represented part of society struggling with their every day lives singing about how they were trying to ‘impress for success’. As the actors boarded the train, their stories unfurled. Freya Moore played a woman deep in depression looking down a dark road and Lizzie Tang, an effervescent young woman trying to weave a way through her future and rental costs. Aleksandra Ford portrayed a worn out but loving new mother whose identity is lost and Jemima Stratton played a character seeking to heal from heartbreak. Greg Thornton’s and Steve Rowe’s characters board the train as a father and son with obvious worry and fear around a father’s growing forgetfulness and finally Hannah O’Donoghue boards as a young woman with health issues putting on a brave face. Young and older, new love and love lost, health issues and worries about their place in life; it was a capsule of today’s post-covid life style and choices.

Each singer poured their hearts into the songs about who they are and their struggles. Freya Moore sang with a sad and lyrical gentleness contrasting with Lizzie Tang’s pizzazz. Aleksandra Ford and Hannah Donoghue presented their songs beautifully and Jemima Stratton tugged at our heartstrings. It was great to hear two male voices from Greg and Steve offering a gravitas as they sang about their worries around the same fears of ageing.

The musical is only an hour long but it is just the right length to take a ride with each character. The songs are the script and the well played piano and guitar gave enough support for the singers. Before it sounds too depressing, there are some fun songs and dancing as the ensemble gets to know each other and recognises in each person similar views of life and love. Some travellers bond and others support the breaking out of fellow passengers’ lives.

To book tickets to Behind Their Closed Doors, please visit https://sydneyfringe.com/events/behind-their-closed-doors/.

Photographer: Daniel Ferris

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Forget Me, Please

05/09/202605/09/2026 Elleirah Moon🆕

Forget Me, Please Rating

★★★★★

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Forget Me, Please
Presented by Sophie Davis
At Old Fitz Theatre

From the moment the lights dimmed at The Old Fitz, audiences were captivated by the screeching sound of an anxiety inducing track followed by immediate ear piercing silence, setting the tone for a tense and thought provoking evening about relationships, trauma, and the heartbreaking notion that most people have experienced at least once in their life – I wish I could forget you.

Written by Sophie Davis and Directed by Jessica Dicosta, the production tells the story of two people, Andi and Sasha, who meet by coincidence in triage after both suffering concussions. As the story progresses, they pair develop into friends, and eventually to lovers, whose experiences are shaped by Andi’s unravelling post-concussion symptoms. Beneath the surface, it explores themes of co-dependency, trauma bonding, and the effects of mental health on relationships. These ideas come to life most clearly through Andi’s recollection of experiences in its non linear form, inviting audiences to share the complexity of her brain.

At the centre of the story, Kala Gare and Shannen Alyce Quan produce raw, emotional and witty performances as they recount the experiences of Andi and Sasha. Through times of hardship, love, play, and vulnerability, these two actresses’ insanely strong chemistry carry the story of Andi and Sasha in a way that is truly breathtaking to the soul, and devastating to the heart, whilst still bringing moments of joy and laughter to the audience.

The set contains a pair of white boxes that the cast move and shape to set different locations, creating seamless set changes that are equally impressive by design and simplistic by execution. Similarly the wardrobe, lighting, and props also remain in all white for the majority of the show and is a reinstating factor of Andi’s supposed insanity. The use of colour in the conclusion of the piece is a subtle yet powerful reminder that sometimes it’s the things we love that drive us mad, and it may be healthier to forget than to hold on.

Music and sound wrap around the production beautifully, adding a level of intensity to the moments of psychosis that otherwise may have been missed. Whilst minimal in its use, the music involved in the scenes and scene changes are an essential world building tool that should not be overlooked.

Throughout the performance, the audience responds with sharp inhales, giggles, silence, and visible emotion. The moment of a seemingly innocent spider kill sparked a particularly interesting reaction from the audience, as they along with Sasha felt the betrayal performed by Andi, foreshadowing her later (or earlier) action, showing just how successfully the cast connects with the room.

Altogether, Forget Me, Please is a moving and thought provoking piece of independent theatre. Its greatest strength is its simplicity in conveying its story through relatable and real world experiences. By the time the final bows arrive, the production leaves its audience with emotional stimulation as they leave pondering what they would do if they had the option to forget the person that broke their heart the most.

Forget Me, Please is a gut wrenching yet charming reminder of the human experience regarding mental health from both the perspective of the person experiencing it and their loved ones. For audiences who enjoy an intimate and relatable story, this is a production well worth stepping into.

Forget Me, Please is running at the Old Fitz Theatre from Friday the 4th of September to Friday the 11th of September. For more information and to book tickets, head to https://sydneyfringe.com/events/forget-me-please/

Review by Elleirah Moon

To book tickets to Forget Me, Please, please visit https://www.oldfitztheatre.com.au/whats-on-1.

Photographer: Lucy Parakhina

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And The Winner Of Best Show For The Sydney Fringe Is…

06/09/202605/09/2026 Potanoski Papa🌱🔥

The Man Rating

★★★★★

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This was a masterclass in naturalist acting and storytelling. Mike Howlett deserves to win every single award possible for his performance in this beautiful show. The show deserves to be sold out every single night and in a much better performance space.

Producers who HAVE MONEY need to take this somewhere bigger!! Please go see this show!!!

The description of the plot of the show doesn’t really sound too appealing. The title of the show, without context, makes you think you’re going to see a show about something to with manosphere – yuk. Please look beyond that.

It starts as a quirky interactive comedy about a meek and mannered guy but by the end you’ll have laughed, cried and been changed for the experience.

“Tax makes Ben anxious. As a sole trader, he’s been hoarding receipts all year. Now, he must go through them all and the audience are going to help.

Every receipt tells a story, every audience member gets a receipt (the first three rows). Audience members will be called on at random to produce a receipt, and the performer will deliver the corresponding monologue. Every performance is totally unique, with the order of scenes changing every night.”

I didn’t think a show about doing one’s tax return would so poignant. With every transaction evoking the good times and the bad memories of things gone wrong, gone right, journeys taken, relationships that have begun and ended. Prompted by frequent calls to the Inland Revenue helpline. There are humiliations, successes and tragedies of the last twelve months, stitching together his memories of the last financial year.

The story of his twin packs a particular punch. I don’t want to give any spoilers on that.

The character of Ben is clearly neurodivergent in the best way. There is a spark that he starts to realise the powers he has with his particular brand of neurodivergence. I don’t know if this was the playwright’s or lead actor’s plan, but it hits you right in the face in a wonderful way.

I was not in the first three rows, so I did not receive one of the receipts but this device of giving the receipts to audience members is genius. Due to the randomness of which ones come up, it really brings you straight into the moment. This must have been a challenge in rehearsals. I’m sure there are certain plot points to jump back too but each section/monologue would have been like its own separate play to learn. This was masterfully taken care of by Howlett. From the moment he stepped on stage you knew you were in safe hands, and we would have gone anywhere with him.

I would like to give a shout out to the costume and set designer/s. The contrast of the stark set with the magic pop of colour of Howlett’s costume worked perfectly together.

Jo Bradley doesn’t try to heavy handle anything in this production, which to me means they have done their job as a director perfectly.

James Graham has won a ton of awards for his writing for stage and screen. “The Man” is another great example of beautiful work and captivating and very individual point of view.

Handy tip for theatre goers – There is very little parking near the theatre, and it isn’t the easiest place to find if you don’t know the area. You go to the basement of the community centre and there is the performance space.

Run, don’t walk, to Lane Cove – Pottery Lane Performance Space before it closes on Sunday!!!!

To book tickets to The Man, please visit https://sydneyfringe.com/events/the-man/.

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