RED SKY MORNING Will Come to Theatre Works in May
Tom Holloway's powerful and poetic story is about family, silence, and finding hope in the everyday.
Winner of the 2008 Green Room Award for Best New Writing (Independent Theatre) and the 2007 R.E. Ross Trust Development Award, this May Theatre Works will bring audiences Red Sky Morning, Tom Holloway's powerful and poetic story about family, silence, and finding hope in the everyday. Performances will run 6 to 16 May 2026.
Capturing the heart of regional Australia; the early mornings, the long silences, and the unspoken care that holds families together, Red Sky Morning spotlights the connections between a woman, a man, and a girl, who all live under the same roof. Over the course of one day their stories unfold. Revealing love, regret, and the quiet hope that things might get better, Red Sky Morning expertly crafts the world of a country life that is steeped in beauty, but also brutal honesty. Deftly reflecting its challenges and strengths.
“We were excited to include this work in our 2026 programming because it speaks so quietly and so truthfully about what people carry when the ground beneath them feels uncertain”, explains Theatre Works Executive Director Dianne Toulson.
“It felt especially relevant given what regional Victoria has been through recently with devastating fires after years of drought, followed by more fires again. These events don't just disappear once the news cycle moves on. The impact lingers through families, businesses, and whole communities and that felt incredibly resonant, particularly in regional contexts where mental health services are limited and people tend to hold things in rather than speak them aloud.
In the same way, this production is not driven by spectacle or big emotional moments, it's driven by silence, rhythm, and the spaces between people who love each other. It trusts the audience to lean in and sit with complexity, rather than spelling things out.”
Directed by Lyall Brooks, this compelling work will be crafted by a remarkable team comprised of actors Alpha Kargo, Izabella Day, and Emma Choy alongside Green Room Award winner/nominated creatives Sidney Younger on lighting, Jack Burmeister on sound/composition and Harry Gill with set and costume.
Running as part of the 2026 By Theatre Works programming, this production of Red Sky Morning will also tour to regional Victoria, playing at the Portland Arts Centre (26 May), Hamilton Performing Arts Centre (27 May), Lighthouse Theatre (28 May), Camperdown Theatre Royal (29 May) and the Bellarine Arts Centre (30 May).
Last staged in Victoria well over a decade ago and playing for a limited season at the Theatre Works' Acland Street venue, don't miss the chance to catch this iconic, award-winning Australian work brought to life by an outstanding team of local artists. Tickets now selling.
Based in St Kilda, Theatre Works has been home to bold, independent theatre for more than 40 years. They give artists the space, support, and freedom to take risks, and audiences the chance to discover powerful new Australian stories. Each year, they present dozens of productions across their three venues, from reimagined classics to brand new works, created in partnership with some of the country's most exciting theatre makers.
Other 2026 By Theatre Works productions include Australian Open, Savages, Beyond The Neck, Mara, Lazarus, Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, The Wolves, and Lord of the Flies.
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