Darlo
Underground
Kiss goodbye to the virtual world and say hello to our new intimate jazz club, Darlo Underground.
Nestled inside the beating heart of our Eternity Playhouse, expect Sydney’s coolest musos and comics to unite every Wednesday for a packed double bill of restorative jazz in our New York style jazz lounge. And tapas until your heart's content, for our restaurant will be serving delectably good food and a cocktail list to rival all else.
(Disclaimer: This program is designed to awaken the senses, to lift spirits, and to celebrate life in real time. Your ticket guarantees world-class entertainment and a high chance of an exhilarated heart rate, why? Because LIVE music is back! Let’s welcome its return, together).
Read more about Darlo Underground here.
If you like Darlo Underground, you will also like our loose and lyrical musical theatre nights Thirsty Thursdays.
When
Wednesday nights doors open 7pm for an 8pm show
27 January
3, 10, 17, 24 February
3 March
Tickets
$38 pp includes both jazz and a confirmed reservation at our Restaurant. (Note: bookings are by table which seats 2 so $76 per table, food and beverage additional).
For all general enquiries, please email theatre@darlinghursttheatre.com
For Box Office please call 02 8356 9987. Box Office hours are Monday-Friday 10am-6pm and Saturday-Sunday 9.30-10.30am.
Read our Covid-19 Safety Plan here.
Learn more about getting to our venue and parking here.
Coming Up
10 February
We’re elated to have Alice Terry back for Darlo Underground after her sold-out performance last year.
Dubbed ‘Sydney’s first lady of blues’, Alice Terry has the kind of voice you can’t ignore. Powerful and emotive, gritty and intense, Alice Terry’s vocals evoke classic singers like Janis Joplin – the kind of singers who leave it all out on the stage.
17 February
Mary Heart hollers rhythm & blues classics as she pumps out driving bass lines. Sydney’s Mary Heart is an all-out entertainer and pays homage to the greats of the past. She has a widespread reputation for her unique blend of foot-stomping rhythm and blues, rollicking swing, and blues-based, upbeat rhythms.
24 February
We’re excited to announce, due to a sudden COVID-cancellation of their Sydney Festival Show, Liz Martin is our special guest this week for Darlo Underground.
Evocative, alluring, and strangely comforting, Liz Martin’s sound will draw you in with it’s playful hipness and emotional openness. Joined by bandmates Michael Bridges (violin and musical saw) and Dirk Kruithof (electric guitar), these three wonderful musicians will take you on an ever-changing, surprising ride as they share songs from their recent Liz Martin Band releases, LIVE at SUSS and Led Me Down.
3 March
Serge Stanley is a complicated but delicious cocktail - one part Randy Newman, one part Tom Lehrer, with a dash of Tom Waits and Frank Zappa. Here, he shares his poignantly dark humour, poetic imagery, offbeat but groovy tunes in cabaret mode. With bandmates from his all-star festival band ”On the Stoop” guitarist Joseph Littlefield, and bassist Joe Manton, they will present songs from the recently released album Home as well as more from his prolific political, humorous and clever repertoire the weaves from iconoclastic calls to arms to tender ballads about life in the emerald city to surviving in inner city suburbs whilst besieged by hyper-development .
Previous Programs
3 February
This week we’re honoured to have one of Australia's most celebrated performers, Ursula Yovich. Most recently Ursula claimed four Helpmann Awards as co-playwright for Barbara and The Camp Dogs including Best Musical and Best Original Score, as well as winning Best Female Actor in a Musical. Ursula also wrote and starred in her own one-woman cabaret, Magpie Blues, and wrote the powerful piece The Man with the Iron Neck which toured Australia in 2019.
Daniel Pliner is a pianist and producer. He releases music under the alias PlaneFace as well as with a number of groups such as Oyobi, The Sticks, Cardboard Heroes among others. He has toured in Brazil, Europe and Asia and is passionate about pushing original Australian music.
27 January
Christa Hughes, Leonie Cohen & Jackie Loeb
After a sell-out Darlo Underground last year Christa Hughes & Leonie Cohen are back by popular demand and bringing along their friend Jackie Loeb for some delicious musical comedy.
Christa Hughes is an Australian singer, circus performer and comedian. She was the vocalist for the band Machine Gun Fellatio (as KK Juggy) from 2000 to 2005. Alongside her solo career, Hughes was also the Ring Mistress with Circus Oz (2006–08) and has issued an album, 21st Century Blues (2010) with her father.
Leonie Cohen is one of Australia’s leading jazz pianists and has performed throughout Australia, (Sydney Opera House, Sydney Fest., Bennett's Lane, 505, Melbourne Women's Jazz Fest.,Adelaide Cabaret Fest.).
Jackie Loeb has maintained her reputation as one of today's most hilarious and gifted stand-up comedians while simultaneously distinguishing herself as a versatile actor, vocalist, musician, voice over talent and writer.
16 December
This Wednesday we're joined by the genre-bending, singing sensation Miss Christa Hughes and one of Australia's leading jazz pianists Leonie Cohen, the dynamic duo of kabaret kunst.
Christa Hughes is an Australian singer, circus performer and comedian. She utilises wild on-stage antics and a powerful voice. From age 15, she has done gigs with her father, jazz pianist and journalist, Dick Hughes. At age 17 had a regular set at Sydney's Shakespeare Hotel. She was the vocalist for the band Machine Gun Fellatio (as KK Juggy) from 2000 to 2005. Alongside her solo career, Hughes was also the Ring Mistress with Circus Oz (2006–08) and has issued an album, 21st Century Blues (2010) with her father.
Leonie Cohen is one of Australia’s leading jazz pianists, and has performed throughout Australia, (Sydney Opera House, Sydney Fest., Bennett's Lane, 505, Melbourne Women's Jazz Fest.,Adelaide Cabaret Fest.). She has toured extensively with cabaret diva Christa Hughes, toured with David Campbell and played piano for Club Swizzle. Cohen has released two ABC commissioned albums, “Jerusalem” and “Sideshow Pony”, and composed several scores for Sydney Opera House productions.
The comedy this week is MC'd by Two Queers Walk into a Bar's Brendan Hancock and features a stellar line-up of Comedy including Hannah Reilly, Jenna Suffern and Juliet Rae Timmerman.
9 December
This week we’re joined by Geoff Bull & The Finer Cuts playing you some New Orleans inspired jazz. Over the last 10 years, Geoff Bull & The Finer Cuts have become an institution in the Sydney Jazz scene. Bull, now at the ripe age of 78, has had an illustrious career playing around the world as a leading proponent of the New Orleans Traditional Jazz style. With the aid of his 'young upstarts' The Finer Cuts, Geoff and band have been able to continue to spread the gospel of New Orleans Jazz far and wide.
The comedy this week is MC'd by 2 Queers Walk into a Bar's Brendan Hancock and features a fresh line-up:
Lily Starr is a Sydney based comedian who has had great success since her solo debut in 2017 with her first show “You’re Welcome.” She was one of the Sydney Comedy Festival’s FRESH Artists of the Year 2017. Selling out her Sydney Comedy Festival run and an encore performance she continued her success later in the year at Sydney Fringe Comedy 2017 with another show “Mister.” Starr continued her success in 2018 and took her show “You’re Welcome” to Adelaide Fringe 2018 and Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2018.
Lizzy Hoo is many things – a writer, noodle enthusiast, designer, actor, rugby lover, and rescue greyhound owner. Lizzy is also a stand-up comedian who has rapidly become one of Australia’s most exciting new voices. Lizzy only started doing stand-up in 2017, originally as a way to gain more self-confidence. Safe to say it worked out pretty well. She quickly found herself an NSW State Finalist in the national RAW Comedy competition. The very next year she was invited to perform at the prestigious Just For Laughs Festival at the Sydney Opera House, with her spot broadcast on Network Ten and Foxtel’s Comedy Channel.
2 December
This week for jazz we have an intimate duo version of Emily-Rose Sarkova on piano and Nick Henderson on the double bass, playing songs from Emily's upcoming album as well as a selection of favourites she draws inspiration from.
The comedy this week is MC'd by 2 Queers Walk into a Bar's Brendan Hancock and features a stellar line-up:
Writer and comedian Bec Melrose has fast made a name for herself as one of Australia's most exciting new comedy talents. After taking out RAW Comedy in 2018, Bec was selected to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe and as part of the prestigious Comedy Zone at Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2019.
Nina Oyama is a stand up comedian, actress, writer and director known for her work on Tonightly with Tom Ballard, The Angus Project, Kinne Tonight and Utopia. As a stand up comedian Nina has been seen on Just For Laughs Sydney and her debut solo show Nina Oyama Needs a Lift was nominated for the Best Newcomer award at The Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
Frankie McNair is a queer comedy gremlin with the energy of an “unhinged but fun aunt”. Frankie has seen sell out crowds at Canberra Comedy Festival and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, won the 2018 Sydney Fringe Festival “New Zealand Tour Ready Award” and was nominated for “Best Comedy” at the 2018 Melbourne Fringe Festival.
25 November
Wednesday 25 November will see the launch of this sweet new offering with jazz singer Alice Terry and comics The comedy this week is MC'd by 2 Queers Walk into a Bar's Brendan Hancock and features a stellar line-up:
Alex Reynolds is a performer, comedian, writer and improviser who has performed at sold-out shows across Australia including Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Sydney Comedy Festival, Adelaide Fringe and Sydney Fringe comedy.
Rosie Piper is Australia’s premier transgender lesbian comedian*. “A long-running favourite of Sydney’s comedy scene, you might’ve seen Rosie perform her stand-up at the Sydney Opera House, on Tonightly, at Splendour in the Grass or just at gigs all around the country, supporting the likes of Wil Anderson and Zoe Coombs Marr.
Sam Taunton is one of the most exciting new voices in Australian comedy. Sam has toured with the Melbourne Comedy Festival Roadshow throughout Australia, Asia and India, is a regular at Splendour In The Grass and the nationwide Falls Festival. He's performed at the Sydney Opera House as part of Just for Laughs and been seen and heard on Channel 10's The Project, ABC2's Comedy Up Late and triple j.
MC Brendan Hancock is a comedian, improviser and one-half of Sydney's Two Queers Walk Into a Bar. Brendan regularly performs around Sydney and was excited to perform his debut solo-show at this year's 2020 Sydney Comedy Festival. While the thing that shall not be named put that on hold, Brendan decided now that this exact moment in history was the right time to co-produce Australia's first queer comedy festival.
