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A symphony of discord unfolds in David Williamson’s brand-new play — a darkly funny exploration of the intricate dynamics and rivalry inherent within every family.
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- Playwright David Williamson
- Director Janine Watson
- Assistant Director Anna Houston
- Cast Tamara Lee Bailey
Rowan Davie
Danielle King
Tracy Mann
Suzannah McDonald
Sam O’Sullivan
Jack Starkey-Gill
- 24 Jan 2025 - 15 Mar 2025
- 1hr 40mins (no interval)
- Recommended for ages 12+
- Wheelchair Accessible
- Hearing Loop
- Audio Described (selected dates)
- Adult themes, coarse language
Overview
WORLD PREMIERE
A symphony of discord unfolds at Monique’s annual family gathering, celebrating her three beloved sons’ birthdays. While Monique’s adoration for her boys knows no bounds, disdain for their wives is palpable.
Festivities crescendo and Monique takes the spotlight with a performance of a renowned opera aria, a poignant reminder of the dreams she sacrificed to raise her brood. In her mind, she was destined for the illustrious stages of La Scala, the Met and Covent Garden.
But beneath the facade of familial harmony, dissonance brews. Have the long-suffering wives reached their boiling point? David Williamson’s ARIA is a darkly comedic exploration of the intricate dynamics and rivalry inherent within every family.
Ticket Prices
For group bookings of 10+, submit the Group Booking Form and we’ll be in contact to confirm your tickets.
Arts professionals (MEAA, AWG members, etc.) check your Ensemble Industry Insider eligibility.
For school groups, please complete our 2025 Education Online Booking Form.
Prices are correct at the time of publication and subject to change without notice.
2025 SINGLE TICKET PRICING | PREVIEWS | IN SEASON |
---|---|---|
FULL PRICE | $94 | $104 |
SENIOR CARD | $91 | $100 |
PENSIONER | $87 | $96 |
GROUP 10 - 19 | $87 | $96 |
GROUP 20+ | $82 | $91 |
30 OR UNDER | $40 | $43 |
FULL-TIME STUDENT | $40 | $43 |
SCHOOL GROUPS | $25 | $25 |
Reviews
"It’s great material: Williamson is to be congratulated for writing four chunky and playful female roles" The Sydney Morning Herald
★★★★ “Aria is an entertaining and well-constructed play that holds its own among Williamson’s impressive oeuvre.” ArtsHub
★★★★ “Audiences will love his latest ‘instalment’ of entertaining satire.” Sydney Arts Guide
★★★★ “Tracy Mann defies gravity and cruel anticipation. And all in 90 minutes. Amazing.” Stage Noise
"ARIA is yet another David Williamson Australian masterpiece" North Sydney Sun
“tasteful black comedy” Timeout
"Fresh, funny and familiar, David Williamson's new family comedy hits all the right notes." Limelight
★★★★ "Sydney’s delusional, monied elites are in for a pasting in David Williamson’s sharp-tongued Aria.” Cultural Binge
"Janine Watson’s slick production keeps the action in constant flow, aided and abetted by Rose Montgomery’s splendid set” Australian Stage Online
"Director Janine Watson holds it all together beautifully. And Williamson, the ‘compulsive writer’, is charged up and raring to go” Stage Whispers
"Tracy Mann is admirably precise” Suzy Goes See
Cast & Creatives

David Williamson AO
Ensemble Theatre: Premieres include: THE GREAT DIVIDE, RHINESTONE REX AND MISS MONICA, CRUNCH TIME, THE BIG TIME, SORTING OUT RACHEL, ODD MAN OUT, JACK OF HEARTS, DREAM HOME, CRUISE CONTROL, HAPPINESS, WHEN DAD MARRIED FURY, NOTHING PERSONAL, AT ANY COST? (Co-written with Mohamed Khadra), LET THE SUNSHINE, LOTTE’S GIFT, OPERATOR, FLATFOOT (with Christine Dunstan Productions), A CONVERSATION, FACE TO FACE. Griffin Theatre Company: FAMILY VALUES. La Boite Theatre/Noosa Long Weekend: STRINGS UNDER MY FINGERS. La Mama Theatre: CREDENTIALS, THE REMOVALISTS, THE COMING OF STORK. Melbourne Theatre Company: RUPERT, DON PARTIES ON, SCARLET O’HARA AT THE CRIMSON PARROT, BIRTHRIGHTS, SONS OF CAIN, THE CLUB, JUGGLERS THREE. Nimrod: CELLULOID HEROES, TRAVELLING NORTH. Old Tote: WHAT IF YOU DIED TOMORROW? Playbox: SANCTUARY. Pram Factory: DON’S PARTY. State Theatre Company South Australia: THE PUZZLE, A HANDFUL OF FRIENDS, THE DEPARTMENT. Sydney Theatre Company: INFLUENCE, AMIGOS, SOULMATES, UP FOR GRABS (with Melbourne Theatre Company), THE GREAT MAN, CORPORATE VIBES (with Queensland Theatre), THIRD WORLD BLUES, HERETIC, DEAD WHITE MALES, SIREN, EMERALD CITY, THE PERFECTIONIST. Queensland Theatre: NEARER THE GODS, MANAGING CARMEN, AFTER THE BALL, BRILLIANT LIES, MONEY & FRIENDS. Film and TV include: FACE TO FACE, BALIBO, ON THE BEACH, BRILLIANT LIES, SANCTUARY, EMERALD CITY, TRAVELLING NORTH, THE PERFECTIONIST, THE LAST BASTION, PHAR LAP, THE YEAR OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY, GALLIPOLI, THE CLUB, DON’S PARTY, ELIZA FRASER, THE REMOVALISTS, STORK. Awards: Some of David’s many awards include twelve Australian Writers’ Guild Awards, five Australian Film Institute Awards for Best Screenplay and, in 1996, the United Nations Association of Australia Media Peace Award. David has received four honorary doctorates and been made an Officer of the Order of Australia, as well as having been named one of Australia’s Living National Treasures.

Janine Watson
Directing Credits: Ensemble Theatre: COLDER THAN HERE, ALONE IT STANDS, A BROADCAST COUP, NEARER THE GODS, STILL UNQUALIFIED, UNQUALIFIED. Bell Shakespeare: THE COMEDY
OF ERRORS, ROMEO AND JULIET. Redline Productions: FIERCE, CRIMES OF THE HEART, DOLORES (co-director). Acting Credits: Ensemble Theatre: A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE. Bell Shakespeare: KING LEAR, THE DREAM. Griffin Theatre: THE HAPPY PRINCE. Little Ones Theatre: DANGEROUS LIAISONS, DRACULA. Sport For
Jove: THREE SISTERS. Film: THE CODE. Television: THE SECRETS SHE KEEPS, NEIGHBOURS, THAT’S NOT ME. Training: National Theatre Drama School (Melbourne). Awards: Sandra Bates Directing
Award 2016. Sydney Theatre Award – Best Lead Female Performance THE HAPPY PRINCE 2019. GLUG Award – Best Supporting Actress A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE 2017.

Anna Houston
Director credits: Griffin Theatre (Lysicrates Prize): NO NEED TO HIDE A LIGHT WHEN IT SHINES LIKE HERS. Old Fitz Theatre: CYPRUS AVENUE, THE LONESOME WEST. Seymour Centre:
ARLINGTON. Acting Credits: Bell Shakespeare: THE SERVANT OF TWO MASTERS, AS YOU LIKE IT, THE TAMING OF THE SHREW. Belvoir Street Theatre: HEDDA GABLER. B Sharp: THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, BEYOND THE NECK. Darlinghurst Theatre Company: ALL MY SONS, VENUS IN FUR. Griffin Theatre: JUMP FOR JORDAN. Perth Theatre Company: TENDER NAPALM, BLACKBIRD. Sport For Jove: OF MICE AND MEN. National Theatre of UK: WAR HORSE. Film: EVENT ZERO. Television: AMAZING GRACE, A PLACE TO CALL HOME, ALL SAINTS, BLUE HEELERS. Training: Ecole Philippe Gaulier (Paris). National Institute of Dramatic Art: BA Acting.

Tamara Lee Bailey
ARIA is Tamara’s Ensemble Theatre debut. Bell Shakespeare: KING LEAR. Michael Cassel: HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD. Sport For Jove: RICHARD III, HENRY IV, THIRD AGE PROJECT, SECOND AGE PROJECT. Montague Basement: THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN PLAY. Victorian College of the Arts: OTHELLO, F***ING A, FEFU AND HER FRIENDS, THE CHERRY ORCHARD, THEBAN DOLLS. Australian Theatre for Young People: INTERSECTION. Television: NCIS: SYDNEY. ABC Children: MIKKI VS THE WORLD (Season 2). Training: Victorian College of the Arts: Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting).

Rowan Davie
Ensemble Theatre: NEARER THE GODS, AWAY (READING). Bell Shakespeare: ROMEO AND JULIET, with The Players: MACBETH, SUCH SWEET SORROW, DOUBLE TROUBLE, HAMLET: OUT OF
JOINT. La Boite: OR FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE. Redline Productions: THE WIND IN THE UNDERGROUND, CRIMES OF HEART. Monkey Baa Theatre: ANGELS IN AMERICA: MILLENNIUM APPROACHES. Old Fitz Theatre: INFINITY TASTER.
New Theatre: AFTER THE DANCE. Film: THAT’S NOT ME. Television: HOME AND AWAY, APPLES NEVER FALL, TEN POUND POMS, CLOUDY RIVER, A PLACE TO CALL HOME. Awards: 2014 NOMINATION Tenerife International Film Festival – Best Supporting
Actor, LIFE THROUGH A LENS. Training: QUT, LARRY MOSS, SITI COMPANY.

Danielle King
ARIA is Danielle’s Ensemble Theatre debut. ATYP: ISHMEAL AND THE RETURN OF THE DUGONGS. Almedia Theatre: RICHARD II, CORIOLANUS. Bell Shakespeare: HENRY V. CDP: THE 91 STOREY
TREE- HOUSE. Darlinghurst: MACBETH. Chichester: ON THE RAZZLE. Compass Theatre Co: THE RIVALS. Don’t Look Now & KXT: NIGHT SLOWS DOWN. Exeter: TWO GENTLEMEN OF
VERONA. Flight Path Theatre: IN TRANSIT. ICA: JEFF KOONS. Merrigong Theatre Co: A MIDSUMMER’S NIGHT DREAM. Many Moons: SAID AND DONE. Outhouse Theatre Co: 4 MINUTES 12
SECONDS. Red Lion: SIMPATICO. Salisbury Playhouse: THE TAMING OF THE SHREW. Shalom Theatre Co: THE MAN IN THE ATTIC. Sphinx: AS YOU LIKE IT. Sport for Jove: NO END OF BLAME, AWAY, THE TAMING OF THE SHREW, HAMLET,
THE TEMPEST, TWELFTH NIGHT, MACBETH, THE LIBERTINE. The Studio: THE ART OF SUCCESS, THE LOWER DEPTHS. Sydney Theatre Company: THE TEMPEST, NOISES OFF. The White Bear:
TRANCE. White Box Theatre: TABLE, BLACKROCK. York Theatre Royal: TWELFTH NIGHT, HAY FEVER. Young Vic: SLEEPING BEAUTY. Film: ECHO PINES, HEARTS AND BONES, FELONY, THE GATHERING STORM. Television: THE TWELVE, WELLMANIA,
DOCTOR DOCTOR, THE LET DOWN, HOME & AWAY, BAD GIRLS, HOLBY CITY. Awards: Best Actress in an Independent Production Sydney Theatre Critics Award 2011: THE LIBERTINE.

Tracy Mann
Ensemble Theatre: RELATIVELY SPEAKING, AT ANY COST, HEIDI CHRONICLES. Belvoir Street Theatre: THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME, MY BRILLIANT CAREER. Force Majeure: NEVER DID ME ANY HARM. Really Useful: THE GRADUATE. Seymour Centre: MADE TO MEASURE. State Theatre SA: THE REMOVALISTS. Sydney Theatre Co: BLITHE SPIRIT,
HOME I’M DARLING, NOISES OFF, EMBERS. Film: ANGEL OF MINE, TOP END WEDDING, FELONY, ANY QUESTIONS FOR BEN, HATING ALISON ASHLEY, THE CUP. Television: THE TWELVE
Season 3, TOP END BUB, FIVE BEDROOMS, LATECOMERS, ROSEHAVEN, WONDERLAND, LAID, RAKE, EAST OF EVERYTHING, THE BRUSH OFF, SWORD OF HONOUR, CYCLONE TRACY, SWEET & SOUR, THE BOX. Awards: AFI Best Actress for HARD KNOCKS, LOGIE 1986 Most Popular Actress for SWORD OF HONOUR.

Suzannah McDonald
ARIA is Suzannah’s Ensemble Theatre debut. Bell Shakespeare Company: THE COMEDY OF ERRORS. FortyFivedownstairs: FAR AWAY. Griffin Theatre: SMASHED. Kage Physical Theatre: THE
DAY THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN. Kei Takei’s Moving Earth Orient Sphere (Japan): RICE FIELDS. Malthouse Theatre: THE ODYSSEY. Monkey Baa Theatre: A VOYAGE TO THE DEEP. Film: TURKEY SHOOT, THE LAST RACE, ONE NIGHT. Television: HOUSE OF GODS, READY FOR THIS, CROWNIES, THE POLITICALLY INCORRECT PARENTING SHOW, CITY HOMICIDE, THE JESTER, UNDERBELLY: TALE OF TWO CITIES, A MODEL
DAUGHTER: THE KILLING OF CAROLINE BYRNES, DANCE ACADEMY, ALL SAINTS. Training: Victorian College of the Arts Bachelor of Dramatic Arts 2001.

Sam O’Sullivan
Ensemble Theatre: MIDNIGHT MURDER AT HAMLINGTON HALL, NEARER THE GODS, THE NORMAN CONQUESTS, A HISTORY OF FALLING THINGS, MY ZINC BED. Belvoir St. Theatre: KILL THE MESSENGER. Cathode Ray Tube: A STEADY RAIN. Critical Stages: CAPTURE THE FLAG. Cross Pollinate: JOURNEY’S END. Darlinghurst Theatre: CONSTELLATIONS. Griffin Theatre: MUSIC. King’s Cross Theatre: WINK. Outhouse Theatre: CONSENT. Pantsguys: PUNK ROCK. Mirror Mirror: HILT. Mophead Productions: PLATONOV. Seymour Centre: MADE TO MEASURE. Sport For Jove: NO END OF BLAME. Rock Surfers: THE REMOVALISTS, SPROUT. Film: CROSSING PATHS. Television:
CLASS OF ’07, AMAZING GRACE, ON THE ROPES, BLACK COMEDY, HOME & AWAY, WONDERLAND, PACKED TO THE RAFTERS, FAST TRACKS. Short Film: WHEN HAROLD MET ARNOLD, REFUSED CLASSIFICATION, LITTLE LOVE, THE BELFAST BOYS, CONCESSION. Awards: ATYP Foundation Commission: CHARLIE PILGRIM. Sydney Theatre Award Nominations: PUNK ROCK, JOURNEY’S END, THE BLOCK UNIVERSE, CHARLIE PILGRIM. Training: The National Institute of Dramatic Art. As a writer, Sam’s works include: Ensemble Theatre: MCGUFFIN PARK, BOXING DAY BBQ. Australian Theatre for Young People: CHARLIE PILGRIM. Cross Pollinate: THE BLOCK UNIVERSE. Redline Productions: THE WIND IN THE UNDERGROUND. Rogue Projects: YOU’RE NOT SPECIAL.

Jack Starkey-Gill
ARIA is Jack’s Ensemble Theatre debut. Theatre: Bell Shakespeare: MACBETH, THE PLAYERS. CDP: THE 52 STOREY TREEHOUSE. Emma Sandall: AN AMBIVALENT WOMAN OF 37. Don’t Look Away
Theatre: A PROPERTY OF THE CLAN. The Old Fitz Theatre: INFINITY CHASER. Film: MARLEY, SOMEONE. Television: NEIGHBOURS. Voice Director: Bell Shakespeare: KING LEAR, A
MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, TWELFTH NIGHT, ROMEO AND JULIET, THE PLAYERS. Voice, Dialect & Text Coach: Michael Cassel Group: MARY POPPINS. Sydney Theatre Company: CONSTELLATIONS. Emma Sandall: AN AMBIVALENT WOMAN OF 37. National Institute of Dramatic Art: SANDAIME RICHARD, KINDNESS, FESTEN, MACBETH. ACA: THE LIBERTINE.
Director: SAS: DOGG’S HAMLET, THE CAGEBIRDS. Training: Victorian College of the Arts. The National Institute of Dramatic Art.

Rose Montgomery
Canberra Theatre: CHIAROSCURO, ME RIGHT NOW. National Institute of Dramatic Art Theatres: THE WAY OF THE WORLD, THE COLBY SISTERS OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA. Redfern Pop
Up Theatre: THIS MODERN COIL. Charing Cross Theatre: MARIE CURIE THE MUSICAL. Fortune Theatre: OPERATION MINCEMEAT THE MUSICAL (Graphics Designer). The Old Vic: SYLVIA (Graphics
Designer). Immersive International: THE GREAT GATSBY NYC (Graphics Designer). Punchdrunk: THE BURNT CITY (Head of Graphics). Theatrical Niche Touring Company UK: UNCLE VANYA. Film: GLOVE, SVENGALI, THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER
(Set Decoration Assistant), ALL ABOUT E. Television: THE GREAT SEASON 3 (Production Design Assistant), PIECES OF HER (Set Decoration Assistant), THE HOME TEAM (Props Master),
HOME AND AWAY (Art Department and Wardrobe). Awards: Loudon Sainthill Memorial Scholarship 2021, ABC RN TOP 5 ARTS 2020, JMK Theatre Award Finalist 2020, BAFTA Connects 2020, Sydney Opera House Made Scholarship 2018. Training Institutions: National Institute of Dramatic Art and University of Technology Sydney.

Matt Cox
Ensemble Theatre: UNCLE VANYA, A CHRISTMAS CAROL, BOXING DAY BBQ, A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE, A BROADCAST COUP, THE CARETAKER, NEARER THE GODS, DIPLOMACY, MURDER ON THE WIRELESS, ALONE IT STANDS, BENEFACTORS, SUMMER OF HAROLD. Bangarra Dance Theatre: WARU JOURNEY OF THE SMALL TURTLE, DUBBOO, ONE’S COUNTRY, OUR LAND PEOPLE STORIES, BLAK, BELONG. Duet Group: DIVAS. Hayes Theatre Company: SHE LOVES ME. Louise Withers and Associates: THE MOUSETRAP, A MURDER IS ANNOUNCED. Soft Tread: WHARF REVUE 2023: PRIDE IN PREJUDICE, WHARF REVUE 2022: LOOKING FOR ALBANESE, WHARF REVUE 2021: CAN OF WORMS. Sydney Chamber Opera: HIS MUSIC BURNS. Sydney Theatre Company: WHARF REVUE 2020; WHARF REVUE 2019; WHARF REVUE 2018; RUBY MOON.
Tinderbox Productions: DAVID SUCHET, POIROT and more.

David Bergman
Ensemble Theatre: MEMORY OF WATER. Bangarra Dance Company: KULKA, SANDSONG, SPIRIT, KNOWLEDGE GROUND. Bell Shakespeare: TWELFTH NIGHT, THE LOVERS. Belvoir Street
Theatre: BLUE, SCENES FROM THE CLIMATE ERA, INTO THE WOODS, AT WHAT COST? Griffin Theatre Company: GREEN PARK, SUPERHEROES. Michael Cassel Group: DEAR EVAN HANSEN.
Sydney Theatre Company: THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY, STRANGE CASE OF DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE, JULIUS CAESAR, MURIEL’S WEDDING: THE MUSICAL, THE HANGING. The
Australian Ballet: OSCAR. Victorian Opera: IDOMENEO. West Australian Opera: RUSALKA. Awards: David has won two Sydney Theatre Awards including for best Stage Design of a Mainstage Production for THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY, and for Best Sound Design of a Mainstage Production for GREEN PARK. Training:
National Institute of Dramatic Art.

Donna Balson
Ensemble Theatre: MASTER CLASS. Opera Australia: Guest Coach; performer in PETER GRIMES, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, THE LITTLE MERMAID, MADAMA BUTTERFLY, NABUCCO, etc.
Opera Queensland: Guest Coach; performer in CENERENTOLA, COSI FAN TUTTE, WALTZING OUR MATILDA. Opera Canterbury: TOSCA, FORZA DEL DESTINO. Opera Greenville, SC: MEFISTOFELE. Opera Frankfurt: COME AND GO, JENUFA. Opera Lanka: LA TRAVIATA. Frankfurter Kammeroper: IL CAMBIALE DI MATRIMONIO. Operaworks NY: THE SEAGULL, SALOME; Long
Beach Opera at the Getty Museum: FRESHWATER. Concerts with: American Chamber Ensemble, China National Orchestra, Ensemble
Moderne, Fires of New York, Hessischer Rundfunk Orchestra, Jacksonville Symphony, National Chorale at Lincoln Centre, Netherlands Radio Symphony, New England Symphonic Ensemble at
Carnegie Hall, Residentie Orchestra Den Haag, Symphony of the Americas. Vocal Consultancy: Frankfurt Ballet (William Forsythe) ISABEL’S DANCE, BBC films ETERNITY MAN. Teaching: Hofstra University, New York; Sydney Conservatorium.

Chloë Dallimore
Ensemble Theatre: UNCLE VANYA, COLDER THAN HERE, ALONE IT STANDS. Belvoir Street Theatre: THE MASTER & MARGARITA, AT WHAT COST?, THE CHERRY ORCHARD, MISS PEONY Crossroads Live: ROCKY HORROR SHOW, SIX, CHICAGO, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR. Hayes Theatre Company: JEKYLL AND HYDE, RIDE THE CYCLONE, ZOMBIE! Opera Australia: MISS SAIGON, SS25, SW24 Sydney Theatre Company: DEAR EVAN HANSEN, A FOOL IN LOVE, THE SEAGULL, THE TEMPEST, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST. Film: THE KNOT, THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING, TRANSFUSION Television: HEARTBREAK HIGH, BUMP, COLIN FROM ACCOUNTS, LAST KING OF THE CROSS, THOU SHALT NOT STEAL, THE LOST FLOWERS OF ALICE HART, LAST DAYS OF THE SPACE AGE, THE TWELVE, PIECES OF HER, HOME & AWAY. Training: LONDON STUDIO CENTRE, IDC, INTIMACY ON SET Awards: Helpmann Award for Best Female Actor in a Musical (2005).

Lauren Tulloh
Lauren is Ensemble Theatre’s Resident Stage Manager. Ensemble Theatre: MCGUFFIN PARK, UNCLE VANYA, SWITZERLAND, ALONE IT STANDS, THE MEMORY OF WATER, MR BAILEY’S
MINDER, CLYDE’S, A BROADCAST COUP, THE CARETAKER, THE ONE, A LETTER FOR MOLLY, KILLING KATIE: CONFESSIONS OF A BOOKCLUB, THE WOMAN IN BLACK, THE APPLETON LADIES’
POTATO RACE (2021 regional tour), OUTDATED, THE LAST WIFE, THE LAST FIVE YEARS, MARJORIE PRIME, THE PLANT, BETRAYAL. Hayes Theatre Company: REWIRED: MUSICALS
REIMAGINED, AMERICAN PSYCHO, HIGH FIDELITY, ASSASSINS, CALAMITY JANE, THE FANTASTICKS, VIOLET. National Theatre of
Parramatta: QUEEN FATIMA, THE THINGS I COULD NEVER TELL STEVEN, JESUS WANTS ME FOR A SUNBEAM (Belvoir season). Training: National Institute of Dramatic Art: Production.

Bella Wellstead
As production assistant: Ensemble Theatre: THE HEARTBREAK CHOIR, MCGUFFIN PARK, COLDER THAN HERE, THE QUEEN’S NANNY, UNCLE VANYA, MASTER CLASS, MR BAILEY’S MINDER. As set and costume design: Flight Path Theatre: THE ESCAPE ROOM. New Ghosts Theatre Company: FRAME NARRATIVE. As assistant director: New
Theatre: ATLANTIS.

Renata Beslik
Ensemble Theatre: UNCLE VANYA, MASTER CLASS, ULSTER AMERICAN, SWITZERLAND, ALONE IT STANDS, THE GREAT DIVIDE, THE MEMORY OF WATER, SUMMER OF HAROLD, MR
BAILEY’S MINDER, BENEFACTORS, RHINESTONE REX AND MISS MONICA, THE CARETAKER, PHOTOGRAPH 51, THE ONE, OUTDATED, CRUNCH TIME, BABY DOLL, FOLK, LUNA GALE,
and many more. Bell Shakespeare: HENRY V, THE WINTER’S TALE, MACBETH. Belvoir St Theatre: FANGIRLS. New Theatricals: DARKNESS. National Institute of Dramatic Art: THE GOVERNMENT
INSPECTOR, STAY HAPPY KEEP SMILING, THE TEMPEST, WOYCECK, A LIE OF THE MIND, PORT, THE THREESOME. Pinchgut Opera: JULIUS CAESAR, RINALDO, MÉDÉE, ORONTEA, PLATÉE and many more. Sydney Festival: BETTY BLOKKBUSTER RE-IMAGINED. Australian Chamber Orchestra: THE NUTCRACKER.
Scripts for Sale
David Williamson’s ARIA scripts are available to purchase at the Box Office and Jim’s Foyer Bar.
Includes a handy program with:
- Playwright & Director’s Notes
- Cast & Creatives Bios
It’s the perfect memento of the premiere season of ARIA.
Playwright's Note
Most of us need some mild delusions about ourselves to help us get through life. That we’re a tad more personable, intelligent and talented than perhaps we really are. Monique, the pivotal character in Aria, being more than a touch narcissistic, needs delusions to prop up her huge but fragile ego. She believes she was destined to become an international opera star until the duties of motherhood intervened, but to compensate for this loss she is convinced her three sons are nigh on perfect. She believes however that these brilliant sons deserved much better wives, and leaves her daughters-in- law in no doubt about her feelings, but as the events of the play unfold, it becomes clear that the daughters-in-law have finally had enough.
I’ve been fascinated with narcissistic personality disorders even since my days at Melbourne University studying psychology. Basically narcissists are hugely self centred and believe the rest of humanity is only there to heap praise on them. Other people’s lives are of no interest to them. But in Aria I wanted to tackle the moment when a narcissistic personality’s delusions are put under severe threat.
I loved writing all the characters in the play but especially Monique, she’s magnificently insufferable, and I can’t help loving the way she indomitably refuses to be shattered, but reshapes her delusions and soldiers on at the end of the play.
You can inflict flesh wounds on a narcissist but like a shape shifter they rise again to haunt us. Who would have thought a man who encouraged insurrection because he couldn’t accept that he lost an election, would bounce back to become the most powerful man in the world?
Monique’s daughters-in-law might have won the battle but they might not have won the war.
David Williamson AO
Director's Note
I first encountered ARIA by David Williamson when I was asked to present a scene from it for a fundraising event at Ensemble Theatre. After working on just four pages of the play I told Mark Kilmurry that if they were programming ARIA I wanted to direct it. It isn’t surprising, given the immense wit and intelligence so typical of David’s work, how it leaps off the page. The characters and relationships are so vivid, so recognisable and intriguingly flawed. And very funny.
The structure of the play struck me as incredibly exciting – one afternoon, a family gathering, a special event. All taking place in the piano room of Monique’s opulent home, it plays out in real time without scene changes. The atmosphere is charged with ego and discord as long suppressed grievances find their way to the surface. I was drawn in by the extreme dynamics of these characters when they are forced to engage with one another. I wanted to direct these scenes, to tell this story. The savage social satire is grounded in an incisive vision of contemporary Australian class and social politics. David uses the protagonist Monique as a beacon of unremitting power, whose assertive dominance is a cover for deep fault lines in her relationships.
I think ARIA is one of the pinnacles in David’s incomparable and prolific career. It has all the humour and laughter so beloved of his plays while fearlessly staring privilege and hypocrisy directly in the eye. In ARIA he centres four complex intelligent female roles at the heart of the story and has a wonderful time positioning them opposite deeply flawed male characters who have enjoyed immense economic advantage.
It is always an honour for me to be entrusted by a writer with a new work. And when that writer is a giant in the world of playwriting it is a major career highlight. However, the real privilege is in the artistic collaboration that we’ve formed as the play is readied for production. How encouraging, kind, and supportive David has been. He’s always available and open to questions and discussions. His passion for his work is evident in his energy, his research, his clarity of vision.
Our creative team and cast are magnificent. I’m so excited to bring ARIA to the stage for its World Premiere. My heartiest thanks to David and Mark for giving me this opportunity.
Janine Watson
WATCH THE TRAILER
SPECIAL PERFORMANCES
Audio Described
- Thu 20 Feb 11am
- Sat 22 Feb 3pm
Q&A Sessions
- Tue 11 Feb 11am
- Tue 25 Feb 7.30pm
Free Teen Night
- Wed 12 Mar 7.30pm