Home | Shows | What's On | 2025 Season | TRUE WEST
Set against the searing backdrop of the Californian desert, TRUE WEST is a wickedly funny and scorching tale of sibling rivalry.
- Playwright Sam Shepard
- Director Iain Sinclair
- Assistant Director Anna Houston
- Cast of 4 includes Vanessa Downing
Darcy Kent
Simon Maiden - Set & Costume Designer Simone Romaniuk
- Lighting Designer Benjamin Brockman
- Stage Manager Christopher Starnawski
- Costume Supervisor Renata Beslik
- By arrangement with Music Theatre International (Australasia)
- 08 Sep 2025 - 11 Oct 2025
- 95mins (no interval)
- Recommended for ages 14+
- Wheelchair Accessible
- Hearing Loop
- Audio Described (selected dates)
- Adult themes, violence, occasional coarse language
Overview
Set against the searing backdrop of the Californian desert, TRUE WEST is a wickedly funny and scorching tale of sibling rivalry.
40 miles east of Los Angeles, Austin has found a writing oasis in his mother’s empty home while she’s abroad. His latest film project has the potential to sell big in Hollywood. In the peace and quiet of the desert, he taps away at his typewriter — until the silence is shattered by his wayward brother, Lee, stumbling unexpectedly through the door. As they fight for control over each other, the pair are swept up in a volatile tornado of flared tempers, resentment and self-loathing destruction.
Pulitzer Prize winner Sam Shepard pits brother against brother in this critically acclaimed and muscular exploration of masculinity in America. Directed by Iain Sinclair (THE CARETAKER), this is a timeless modern classic not to be missed.
Calendar
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.
| TICKET TYPE | PREVIEWS | IN SEASON |
|---|---|---|
| FULL PRICE | $85 | $90 |
| SENIOR CARD | $82 | $87 |
| PENSIONER | $78 | $83 |
| GROUP 10 - 19 | $78 | $83 |
| GROUP 20+ | $73 | $78 |
| 30 OR UNDER | $40 | $43 |
| FULL-TIME STUDENT | $40 | $43 |
| SCHOOL GROUPS | $25 | $25 |
Reviews
“Shepard’s writing and his vision are as powerful as ever” The New Yorker
“a Pinteresque air of brooding menace” The Guardian
Cast & Creatives
Iain Sinclair
Director
Anna Houston
Assistant Director
Simon Maiden
Ensemble Theatre: Debut. GWB Entertainment: DEATH OF A SALESMAN. Moose Down Under/Rodney Rigby: COME FROM AWAY. Melbourne Theatre Company: ADMISSIONS, A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE, LAST MAN STANDING. Malthouse Theatre: CRIMINOLOGY, LOVE. Red Stitch Theatre: LAMB, RUBEN GUTHRIE. Tamarama Rock Surfers: ROBOT VS ART. The Production Company: CURTAINS. Film: UPGRADE (voice of ‘Stem’), THE DRESSMAKER, THE GREAT RAID, THE KILLER ELITE, ROMULUS MY FATHER, SLEEPING DOGS, BLUE CANARIES. Television: EAST OF EDEN, HIGH COUNTRY, THE NEWSREADER, SAFE HOME, GLITCH, NEWTON’S LAW, WENTWORTH, JACK IRISH, THE DOCTOR BLAKE MYSTERIES, WINNERS AND LOSERS, CITY HOMICIDE, RUSH, SATISFACTION, TANGLE. Telemovies: HAWKE, DANGEROUS REMEDY, UNDERGROUND: THE JULIAN ASSANGE STORY, DEADLINE: GALLIPOLI.
Simone Romaniuk
Set & Costume Designer
Ben Brockman
Lighting Designer
Christopher Starnawski
Stage Manager
Renata Beslik
Costume SupervisorWATCH THE TRAILER
SPECIAL PERFORMANCES
Audio Described
- Sat 27 Sep 2pm
- Thu 2 Oct 11am
Q&A Sessions
- Thu 18 Sep 11am
- Thu 25 Sep 8.15pm
Free Teen Night
- Wed 1 Oct 8.15pm