With warmer days on the way and plenty of reasons to get out and about, November is the perfect time to discover something new. Our alumni are working hard to keep you entertained, from the fallout of the Robodebt scandal to a musical tribute to John Farnham, swashbuckling pirates and timeless tales of love and self-discovery. Find your next night out, cosy listening session or must-watch series below:
A shape-shifting fox has a dangerous and tempting offer for a hunter in The Fox, pouncing into cinemas on 26 November. Starring Jai Courtney, Emily Browning, Olivia Colman and the late Sam Neill, alongside NIDA alumni Miranda Otto (Acting, 1990) and Heather Mitchell (Acting, 1980). Behind the scenes, Andrew Fraser (Acting, 2018) also joins the production as Producer’s Assistant.
The system is the problem in Shakedown, arriving on ABC TV and ABC iview from 22 November. Revisiting the Robotdebt scandal, this series follows a mother caught in a nightmare of debts she never really owed. It’s a sobering story with a serious amount of NIDA talent behind it, starring Kate Box (Acting, 2003), Claire van der Boom (Acting, 2005), Christopher Stollery (Acting, 1987), Jack Patten (Acting, 2023), Nicholas Brown (Acting, 2000), Ahunim Abebe (Acting, 2022), Ash Hodgkinson (Stage and Screen Performance, 2020) and with Assistant Hair and Make-up Artist Ruby Russell (Make-up, 2022).
You’re the voice, try to understand it. A theatrical take on the musical works of John Farnham arrives at Sydney Theatre Company from 15 November, it’s time to book tickets to Whispering Jack. Supporting this production is a fabulous creative team including performers, Calista Nelmes (Musical Theatre, 2018), Chaya Ocampo (Musical Theatre, 2017), Anusha Thomas (Musical Theatre, 2022), Andrew Waldin (Musical Theatre, 2018) and Ariyan Sharma (Musical Theatre, 2020; Acting, 2023), with Set Designer Jeremy Allen (Design, 2015), Costume Designer Renée Mulder (Design, 2008), Video Designer David Bergman (Production, 2008) and Associate Director Kenneth Moraleda (Acting, 1995).
Yo-ho-ho! Silver Tongue sets sail at Hayes Theatre Co from 13 November – 19 December, reimagining Treasure Island as a gloriously offbeat musical packed with pirates, treasure hunting and killer songs. This world premiere features NIDA alumni across the creative team, including Co-Writer and Assistant Director Miranda Middleton (Directing, 2020), Costume Designer Sam Hernandez (Costume, 2024), Set Designer Hailley Hunt (Design for Performance, 2022), Lighting Designer Ryan McDonald (Technical Theatre and Stage Management, 2019), Sound Designer Daniel Herten (Technical Theatre and Stage Management, 2021) and Co-star and Assistant Music Director Tana Laga’aia (Musical Theatre, 2023).
Anyone up for a life-changing trip to Italy? E.M. Forster’s A Room with a View is on stage at Belvoir’s Upstairs Theatre until 8 November. This beloved tale of romance and self-discovery features NIDA alumni across the cast and creative team, including Adapter Grace Chapple (Writing for Performance, 2020), Co-star Charles Wu (Acting, 2014), Sound Designer Madeleine Picard (Technical Theatre and Stage Management, 2023), Associate Set and Costume Designer and Assistant Costume Maker Hailley Hunt (Design for Performance, 2022), Voice and Accent Coach Laura Farrell (Voice, 2020), Assistant Director Mehhma Malhi (Directing, 2024), Stage Manager Bella Kerdijk (Production, 2008) and Assistant Stage Manager Maddison Craven (Technical Theatre and Stage Management, 2023).
The story of a prince who never asked for the crown, H.G. Wells’ The King Who Was a King takes over Belvoir’s Downstairs Theatre from 1 – 22 November. Adapted and directed by Ayah Tayeh (Technical Theatre and Stage Management, 2019), this production revisits Wells’ ambitious vision of a story that could end war forever, with NIDA alumni spanning the cast and creative team. Joining Ayah are cast members Violette Ayad (Acting, 2017), Toby Carey (Acting, 2023) and Harry Stacey (Acting, 2022), alongside Assistant Director Saint Clair (Technical Theatre and Stage Management, 2021), Set Designer Bronte Hunt (Design for Performance, 2025), Costume Designer Andrea Knezevic (Design for Performance, 2024), Composer and Sound Designer Daniel Herten (Technical Theatre and Stage Management, 2021), Voice and Dialect Coach Patrick Klavins (Voice, 2020), Stage Manager Archer Dametto (Technical Theatre and Stage Management, 2025), Associate Lighting Designer Holly Nesbitt (Live Production and Technical Services, 2023), Associate Sound Designer Chaii Ki Chapman (Technical Theatre and Stage Management, 2025) and Rehearsal Room Cover Braeden Caddy (Acting, 2024).
Described as Alex Rider meets Stranger Things, The Nightmare League by Reece Carter arrives on 3 November, with NIDA alum Ariyan Sharma (Musical Theatre, 2020; Acting, 2023) lending his voice as narrator for this exciting Australian original.
Header image: Justine Clarke , Kate Box (Acting, 2003) and Mandy McElhinney in ABC TV’s Shakedown.