Review: AUSTRALIA DAY at ARTS Theatre

Reviewed by Barry Lenny, Thursday 9th April 2026

Therry Theatre is presenting Australia Day, written by Jonathan Biggins in 2012, and directed by Jude Hines. A lot has changed since then, and the play has been condemned by indigenous Australians, with Australia Day referred to as Invasion Day. There have been discussions around changing the date, and some councils no longer have celebrations. Writer, actor, director, Jonathan Biggins, is probably best known his political satires, The Wharf Revue, that he co-wrote and performed in since 2000, although his portfolio is vast. For a while, he was the Australia Day Ambassador touring regional New South Wales.

In the fictional town of Makaratta, a committee of six comes together to plan the Australia Day celebrations. There are those in the, “this is how we have always done it”, camp, and others in the, “it’s time for some changes”, camp.

Stephen Bills plays Brian Harrigan, the mayor, chair of this committee, and a man hoping for pre-selection to run as a candidate for the Liberal Party. Adam Schultz plays Robert Wilson, Brian’s long-time friend, deputy mayor, and deputy chair of this committee. Two others have been members of the committee for many years: builder and developer, fifteen years on the committee, Wally Stewart, played by Steve Kidd OAM, and the president of the local Country Women’s Association, Maree Bucknell, played by Kristina Kidd. Together, they have run the annual celebration year after year without any changes, and see no reason to do anything different this year.

Relative newcomer from the city, Helen McInnes, a Greens councillor, played by Michele Kelsey, has other ideas, pointing out that they should be embracing and catering for the increasing diversity in the town, and another new resident, Chester Lee, an Australian born Vietnamese primary school teacher who, having drawn the short straw and representing the school, played by Ollie Xu, completes the group.

They are a disparate crowd of stereotypes, from the corporate suited Brian, to the ‘ocker’ Wally, in a blue singlet, shorts, a bucket hat, and a pair of thongs on his feet.

The first act, in four scenes, is set in the Scout hall, covering four meetings, and the second is outside on Australia Day, where a sausage sizzle/command centre has been set up. As the play begins, each of the committee members arrives in turn, introducing the audience to the characters. It starts quietly, but cracks soon appear, primarily due to Helen’s insistence on the need to take account of the ever-increasing diversity in the population.

Wally is resistant to change and wants the town to go back to the way it was, before newcomers arrived. He soon reveals himself to be a racist, xenophobic, misogynistic, bigoted loud-mouth, in direct conflict with Helen. Although the old Australian television show, Kingswood Country, is mentioned, he is not like the comical central character, Ted Bullpit. He is more like Alf Garnett in the biting English series, ‘Til Death Us Do Part. Kidd gives a powerful performance in the role, well matched by Kelsey, portraying the antithesis of all that he stands for. At one point, she asks him what exactly he understands by Australia Day, and the long-past lectures that I took in cultural anthropology gave me much to consider later.

Brian owns a small, family-run hardware store, threatened by the proposed Bunnings warehouse, as well as being the typical oily, would-be politician, with no qualms about manipulating those around him to advance his career. Bills gives a good account of his character, giving us a man who is very much what many Australians think of their politicians. Schultz provides a solid character as Robert, who gives the support to his friend and, reluctantly, goes along with his political machinations.

Maree is caught in the middle, happy to bring the sausages, and other perform other essential tasks, while attempting to smooth over the conflicts. Kristina Kidd gives us a woman who means well, but is out of her depth, and not the most reliable member of the committee, as the sausage sizzle reveals. Xu, as Chester, neatly creates the flamboyant joker in the pack, who uses humour as a deflection as he negotiates his way through the developing situations.

Gary Anderson’s sets are effective and Ian Barge adds his usual well-considered lighting design. The audience responded to both the one-liners and comical elements, and were, at times, shocked by the very serious elements. Biggins raises many questions, but provides no answers and, perhaps, there aren’t any. Australia Day raises a great deal of discussion, and controversy, every year, and that is touched on in this equally controversial production.

Photography, Andrew Trimmings.