Australian Theatre Festival to Begin Performances in NYC Next Week

The Australian Theatre Festival NYC is launching its 2025 season next week, running September 16–23, 2025, with a bold lineup celebrating the best of contemporary Australian performing arts. This year marks an exciting new chapter for the Festival, with expanded programming, fresh collaborations, and its first-ever tour to Washington, D.C.

In a major milestone, the Festival has partnered with the Embassy of Australia in Washington, D.C. for its inaugural tour to the capital, which will follow the New York season. This expansion amplifies the Festival’s mission of bringing Australian performing arts to broader international audiences.

“We are honored to lead the Festival forward into a new era and celebrate even more Australian stories and artists in New York City,” said Co-Artistic & Executive Directors Mark Barford and Connor Delves. “With new partnerships and collaborations, we’re proud to welcome organizations that share our mission. It’s through togetherness that Australians achieve great things. We are focused on creating impactful experiences for both artists and audiences—and 2025 will deliver that in spades.”

A highlight of this year’s season is a new partnership with House of Oz, the award-winning global producing company led by Georgie Black. Dedicated to championing Australian artists worldwide, House of Oz boasts a track record of more than 1,000 performances across international tours. This collaboration reflects the Festival’s commitment to showcasing the richness and diversity of Australian theatre on the global stage.

The Festival will present two fully staged productions at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street):

FLICK by Madelaine Nunn, Purse Prize Award winner — presented by House of Oz

SKINNY by Michelle Pearson — presented by House of Oz

Both productions, direct from the Edinburgh Festival, will feature post-show talkbacks, giving audiences unique insight into the process of bringing Australian works to international stages.

The Festival’s ongoing collaboration with Australian Theatre Live continues with a special screening of Nakkiah Lui’s hit comedy Blaque Showgirls at the Dolby Screening Room (1350 6th Avenue), featuring Griffin Theatre’s acclaimed premiere season.

The much-anticipated ATF Cabaret returns to Green Room 42 (570 10th Avenue), now paired with a concert presentation of Happy People, with music and lyrics by Matthew Lee Robinson and book by Matthew Lee Robinson and Scott Morris. This event is co-presented with EQ Endeavours and Rebecca Morris.

ATF Cabaret Cast: Amelia Cormack (Hadestown), Caroline O’Connor (Chicago, Anastasia), Barnaby Reiter (Titanique), Brenton Cosier (Skin), Jennifer Reed (Assassins, The Who’s Tommy), and Jaimee Lee Gaston (Maneater).