Dearest gentle-reader, February is shaping up to be another standout month for NIDA alumni with our graduates appearing across some of the most anticipated productions on screen and stage. Read on to discover our diamonds of the season:
A beloved Regency-era romance reaches its peak on 26 February as the second half of Bridgerton Season 4 arrives on Netflix. After a deliciously dramatic start, Sophie Baek, portrayed by Yerin Ha (Acting, 2018), must navigate the rigid social hierarchies of the ton while protecting her own heart. What awaits the Lady in Silver this month? We cannot wait to find out.
Disney’s The Artful Dodger returns from 10 February with even more dubious medical mayhem. An Australian original brimming with NIDA talent, we’re thrilled to see Susie Porter (Acting, 1995) return as the formidable Lady Jane Fox, Aljin Abella (Acting, 2006) as the explosive Bayani ‘Flashbang’ Rivera and joining the rowdy cast is Jeremy Sims (Acting, 1990). Meticulously crafting the world of Port Victory includes: Production Designer Nick Dare (Design, 2001), Graphic Artist Gabrielle Rowe (Design for Performance, 2017 & Master of Design for Performance, 2019), Prop Maker Rhyanna Martinussen (Properties and Objects, 2021), Jnr Carpenter Max Shanahan (Design for Performance, 2024), Truck Standby Lucy Jauristo (Costume, 2021), Costume Extras Coordinator Jonathan Hindmarsh (Design, 2015), On Set Costume Assistant Georgia Attewell-Moore (Costume, 2021), Sewers Sarah Murdoch (Costume, 2021) and Rachel Cherry (Costume, 2021), Costume PA Edison Heartly (Design for Performance, 2024). Finally, contributing to the vocal authenticity of the 19th-century world is Jennifer White (Voice Studies, 1998), who worked as dialect coach to Susie Porter.
Premiering 1 February on ABC TV and iView, Dog Park is a charming six-part dramedy featuring Elizabeth Alexander (Acting, 1973). A quirky ‘tail’ of a man whose life has gotten a bit ‘ruff’ after his wife leaves him, Dog Park brings together an eclectic community of pet owners that lift each other up through human and canine connection.
The second season of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is unleashed on 27 February on Apple TV+. The latest high-stakes chapter of the Monsterverse is fuelled by the creative talents of Concept Artist Eddy Taylor (Properties, 2011) and Graphic Artist Olivia Hutley (Designer for Performance, 2021), with Callan Colley (Acting, 2016) joining the cast.
Set your sails for a gritty, high-seas adventure as The Bluff premieres globally on Prime Video on 25 February. A former 19th century pirate queen’s secrets catch up with her when her Caribbean Island is invaded by a merciless crew from her old life. With Art Director Patrick Howe (Master of Design for Performance, 2018) building out the brutal world and Pacharo Mzembe (Acting, 2007) joining a titanic international cast, this high-stakes film is a battle for survival.
Prepare to question everything as the hit play A Mirror takes over Belvoir St Theatre from 21 February. A mechanic’s endeavour at playwriting leads him into the crosshairs of a patriotic bureaucrat in a comedic whirlwind. Co-starring Yalin Ozucelik (Acting, 2007) and Faisal Hamza (Acting, 2024), with a phenomenal creative team including Set and Costume Designer Angelina Daniel (Design for Performance, 2024), Lighting Designer Phoebe Pilcher (Design for Performance, 2020) and Composer Daniel Herten (Technical Theatre and Stage Management, 2021). Supported by Military Consultant Jake Speer (Acting, 2012) and Stage Manager Jen Jackson (Technical Theatre and Stage Management, 2021), this is a satire that will really make audiences reflect.
The razor-sharp comedy ART will arrive at the Roslyn Packer Theatre from 10 February – 8 March. Co-starring Richard Roxburgh (Acting, 1986) and Toby Schmitz (Acting, 1999)* alongside Damon Herriman, this award-winning comedy explores the fragility of friendship when one man’s purchase of an expensive, all-white painting sends his social circle into a 90-minute long tailspin of ego and old wounds. Directed by Lee Lewis OAM (Directing, 2003) with Set and Costume Designer Charles Davis (Design, 2014), this hilariously dramatic production asks the question: can we forgive the people we’ve known the longest?
After sweeping the Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize, Purpose is playing at Sydney Theatre Company, on now until 22 March. Helmed by Director Zindzi Okenyo (Acting, 2006), Purpose explores the cracks in an African American political dynasty when a family reunion unearths legacy altering secrets. Building the drama behind-the-scenes are Designer Jeremy Allen (Design, 2015) and Lighting Designer Kelsey Lee (Design for Performance, 2018).
You can’t keep a fierce woman down. My Brilliant Career returns for a limited run at Melbourne Theatre Company’s Southbank Theatre until 28 February. This Green Room Award-winning musical reimagines Miles Franklin’s classic heroine as a modern rockstar, with book co-written by Sheridan Harbridge (Acting, 2006), co-starring Lincoln Elliott (Musical Theatre, 2017) and supported by Assistant Director Miranda Middleton (Directing, 2020) and Deputy Stage Manager Tom O’Sullivan (Acting, 2003).
Griffin Theatre Company presents The Elocution of Benjamin Franklin at Belvoir’s Downstairs Theatre from 21 February. Celebrating its 50th anniversary, this riotous tragicomedy follows an eccentric elocution teacher whose life is upended by a new student and the prying eyes of Double Bay. The evolved revival features the creative vision of Designer Isabel Hudson (Design, 2015) and Lighting Designer Brockman (Production, 2011). With Sound Designer and Composer, David Bergman (Production, 2008), Vocal Coach Linda Nicholls-Gidley (Voice Studies, 1998) and Stage Manager Isabella Kerdijk (Production, 2008), it’s unsettling, fiercely funny and adapted for the modern age.
*Toby Schmitz (Acting, 1999) will replace Ryan Corr in ART
Header Image: Damon Herriman, Richard Roxburgh and Toby Schmitz in ART at Roslyn Packer Theatre. Presented by Rodney Rigby, Marriner Group, Paul Wheelton AM, and State Theatre Company South Australia.