The cast in The Lovers
Photograph: Joel Devereux
Photograph: Joel Devereux

The best shows to see in Sydney this month

The Emerald City's stages pack no shortage theatrical magic, from big musical spectaculars to uncut indie gems

Avril Treasure
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Let’s dive into the springtime theatrical fun currently on in Sydney.

The Lovers has landed at the Theatre Royal Sydney – but not for long. As our reviewer puts it: "Laura Murphy’s The Lovers delivers exactly what it promises: “Love, pop and Shakespeare” in confetti-sprinkled spades." Find out more here.

Over at Sydney Theatre Company, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is on now until December 14. See award-winner Kat Stewart star in Edward Albee’s most famous play that explores love, marriage and everything in between. Find out more here

Fancy a dazzling night out? La Ronde is here at Sydney’s Grand Electric, bringing an intoxicating performance of comedy, cabaret and circus to the stage – with a side of cocktails and chaos. From the creators of Blanc de Blanc and Limbo, this exciting new show is sure to deliver glitz, glamour and entertainment. Check out a sneak peek here, and find out more here.

Great Scott! Back to the Future: The Musical is now playing at Sydney Lyric, so round up your fellow movie buffs and enjoy a blast from the past. As our reviewer says: "And if you think they couldn’t get the DeLorean to do that final scene of the movie? Well…you’ll have to go and see for yourself." Find out more here.

Tongue-in-cheek musical The Book of Mormon is on at Sydney's Capitol Theatre – and it’s jam-packed with “did they really just say that?” humour. Bring your mate, bring yourself – but maybe leave your nan (and your kid) at home for this one. Find out more here.

It’s nearly that time of year: Love Actually? The Musical Parody will have its NSW premiere at Sydney’s Darling Quarter Theatre from November 27. Whether you’re a fan of the cult movie (hello, it’s me) or just feel like some festive laughs, this musical is said to be like Christmas dinner after one too many Champagnes – ridiculous, loud and a lot of fun. Find out more here.

Pretty Woman: The Musical is landing at Theatre Royal Sydney on November 30. Expect to see one of the most beloved romantic comedies of all time come to life on stage. It’s going to be BIG. HUGE. Find out more here.

Looking ahead, the excellent Gatsby at The Green Light returns to the Sydney Opera House from December 13 to March 15, transforming the Studio into a 1920s-inspired club plucked from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic world. Safe to say I’m excited. Find out more here.

Scroll on for the best musicals, plays and more to see in Sydney this month.

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The best musicals, plays and more to see in Sydney this month

  • Drama
  • Millers Point
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended

Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words can spit out venom so lethal that there is no antidote. There are not many works which can produce such poisonous sparring and emotional violence with the same acclaim and excellence as Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? The Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winner’s work is a gruelling feat of art, which director Sarah Goodes tackles with a fresh ferocity and with all the classical nuance and complexity that comes with Albee’s work.

Jasmine Joyan
Jasmine Joyan
Contributor
  • Darling Harbour
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended

Great Scott! All the way from 1985 to 1955 and now 2025, Sydney has landed the opening of mega-movie musical Back to the Future: The Musical, complete with a superb ensemble, captivating visual effects and enough nostalgia to power a time-travelling DeLorean. For full transparency, Back to the Future is one of my favourite films of all time. Growing up watching Michael J. Fox’s Marty McFly and Christopher Lloyd’s Dr. Emmett Brown travel through time across three films was a large part of my movie-watching childhood. So when it was announced that it would be getting a high-octane staging, I was both ecstatic and sceptical. However, like the show’s original writer (and now the musical’s) Bob Gale said, “we’re not going to do this unless we can do it right”. Thankfully, of the musical version I can safely say – to borrow from the Doc – “IT WORKS!”

Justin Clarke
Justin Clarke
Contributor
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  • Musicals
  • Haymarket
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended

As I’m on my way to Sydney's Capitol Theatre for the new Australian production of The Book of Mormon, my friend tells me it’s the very first musical a lot of people see. Created by South Park duo Trey Parker and Matt Stone (with Robert Lopez), the show’s reputation for extremely irreverent jabs at religion draws a non-traditional theatre crowd. What I now realise my friend didn’t mean was, “it’s often the first musical kids see”. When I say the musical is extremely irreverent, I mean it. The humour is crass, verging on grotesque (some things I wouldn’t dare repeat). So it’s probably questionable that I’ve brought along my 13-year-old son with me. That said, he loves it.

Alice Ellis
Alice Ellis
Editor in Chief, Sydney, Melbourne, Australia
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