A play about two brothers, Niv and Sai, heading to the mountains to bury the hatchet on a lifelong rivalry.

Big brother Niv has gone vegan. He’s madly in love, he's starting his own business, and seems to have finally found himself after years as the black sheep of the family. In an attempt to reconcile their differences, Niv invites golden child Sai and his new girlfriend Kate on a ski trip where they can put the past aside for the sake of family. But when party banter turns political, Kate stumbles into a minefield, and finds herself the focal point of an all-out war.

This original comedy by Aran Thangaratnam stars Green Room Award-winning Dushan Phillips (Red Stitch Actors' Ensemble) and newcomer Kaivu Suvarna. Funny and feisty, it's all about the bitter warfare behind brotherly love.

Content warning: includes themes of racism, references to genocide, drug use and occasional coarse language.

★★★★ "This sharp, authentic comedy gives Australia’s woke generation a voice” — The Age

★★★★ “A crowd-pleasing ripper” — TimeOut

“Humorous, thought-provoking theatre” — Limelight

Hear what our opening night audiences had to say about Stay Woke. Video by Padraig Digital.


A Malthouse Theatre Production
T
his script was commissioned by Malthouse Theatre through the support of the Malcolm Robertson Foundation.

Cast & Creative Team

Playwright Aran Thangaratnam

Director Bridget Balodis

Dramaturg Mark Pritchard

Set and Costume Design Matilda Woodroofe

Lighting Design Rachel Lee

Composition and Sound Design Daniella A Esposito

Stage Manager Maree Delvecchio

Cast

Rose Adams

Dushan Phillips

Brooke Lee

Kaivu Suvarna

Production photos by Phoebe Powell

 
 

Genre

Play
Comedy


When

Previews

26 - 27 March

Season

29 March - 17 April

Tuesdays - Saturdays: 7.30pm
Sundays: 1pm (3 & 10 April), 5pm (17 April)
Saturday Matinees: 2pm

Short Eatz (see below) is on Saturday 2 & 16 April

Running time
90 mins (no interval)

Short Eatz

Short Eatz, a celebration of Stay Woke and everything Tamil. Short Eatz is all about pushing back on traditional ideas that are attached with going to the theatre. This space has been cultivated by Tamil folks from the area, for Tamil folks from the area! A kalai mālai (கலை மாலை) unlike any other, Short Eatz allows for the reclaiming of theatre while taking up space, loudly and proudly.

We'll be serving tasty treats (think, palaharam) and vibing to homegrown Tamil Artists and DJs providing the kothu, the kuttu and the all round Kollywood spice. Get ready to dance like it's your Thamby's wedding, because we're bringing Jaffna to Darlinghurst.

Short Eatz is free with your show ticket.


Tickets

Standard: $68
Concession: $58
Under 30: $39

Darlo Pay What You Can Tickets

Theatre isn't accessible, but it should be. It puts up further barriers to historically excluded groups being part of the show. So, we have reserved eight (8) tickets for each performance for those who face social barriers to attending theatre, especially those who identify as Indigenous and/or Black and/or People of Colour, those who identify as transgender and gender diverse, those experiencing disability or those experiencing economic hardship. To access these tickets, please contact jacqueline@darlinghursttheatre.com

Accessibility & Pre-Show Information


For all general enquiries, please email theatre@darlinghursttheatre.com

For Box Office please call 02 8356 9987. Box Office hours are Monday-Friday 9.30am-5.30pm.

Read our Covid-19 Safety Plan here.

Learn more about getting to our venue and parking here.

Step Inside the World of Stay Woke

Step into a trendy chalet in Mount Buller with Matilda Woodroofe's epic set design! Yes, that is falling snow you see above. As well as it's impressive design, Stay Woke received rave reviews during its premiere season at Malthouse Theatre in Melbourne, with critics praising its ability to tackle complex issues around white privilege and colonialism, while simultaneously giving audiences a good belly laugh:

"Far from a deep dive on these issues, it’s a smart move by Thangaratnam to broach dismantling systems of oppression via comic relief in Stay Woke", Stephen A Russell, Time Out.

And we have an incredible team of Community Engagement specialists who have bought an authentic Sri Lankan experience to the show. Our foyer is transformed into a traditional Tamil living room circa 1990s so you feel like you've just stepped inside Niv and Sai's childhood home.

Plus we're bringing the vibes on Saturday 2 and 16 April with Short Eatz. During Short Eatz, audiences will be served tasty treats (think palaharam) and experience homegrown Tamil Artists and DJs in the foyer for a post-show dance party (free with your show ticket).

 

Podcast: Wake + Bake

A podcast created by the Community Engagement Team to explore the themes of Stay Woke.

Thinesh Thillai and Priyanka Bromhead consider all the ingredients, the messy, contradicting, and occasionally chaotic parts of ourselves that often do not see the light of day, and try to reconcile them. Sometimes questionably :/. We swear we are not baked!

Are you betraying your race by dating outside of it? How do you navigate the South Asian community as queer, trans and gender diverse humans? Are you Tamil if you do not listen to hip-hop? We pass the mic (read: mic), we tackle these difficult questions, and leave you with more. Let's Wake and Bake!

Episodes:

Ep 1 - Tamil Identity (out now)
Ep 2 - Queerness (out now)
Ep 3 - Interracial Relationships (out 5 April)
Ep 4 - Anti-Blackness (out 12 April)


Stay Woke Digital Program


Community Engagement Team