The best theatre to see in Sydney this week

Love a bit of razzle dazzle? Want a bit of risqué business? Sydney, it’s time to welcome back Blanc de Blanc to The Grand Electric in Surry Hills. Celebrating ten years since it first astounded audiences at the Sydney Opera House in 2016, this burlesque show is back with an all-new cast. Get ready for an adults-only spectacular serving up a heady mix of cabaret, cheeky humour, Champagne and jaw-dropping circus acts. Leading the line-up is charismatic American host Alex Makardish, fresh from extended seasons in London and Melbourne, along with world champion contortionist Misha Makarov. Aerialists Duo Coco and Marie also join the cast, with French performer Marie Lebot and Canadian performer Corentin Lemaitre Auger making their Sydney stage debuts. Watching these artistes twist, tumble and soar through the air, you can’t help but marvel at their incredible athleticism and flexibility. Produced by Jess Copas, Blanc de Blanc has charmed audiences from London’s West End to Las Vegas with its intoxicating blend of cabaret, circus and comedy. Whether you’re planning a date night or a fun evening out with the girls, prepare to leave everyday life at the door and embrace your wild side.  Blanc de Blanc runs from October 28, 2026 to January 24, 2027 at The Grand Electric, Surry Hills. Tickets start at $75. Find out more and book tickets here. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, travel inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox....

You should know the premise by now – divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived all set to a fiery, feminist live band. Henry VIII’s six ex-wives reclaim their stories and their thrones in the worldwide sensation that is Six the Musical. This is the fourth time in (wouldn’t you know it) six years that the queens have graced Sydney stages, the second at the Theatre Royal. So has Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss’ Tony- and Grammy-nominated electrifying pop-concert hit lost some of its glam? The short answer is “No Way”. What is the plot of Six? What started as an Edinburgh Fringe hit went on to capture the hearts of the West End, Broadway, and beyond. At its core, Six retains those fringey roots in its tight 80-minute, one-set, one-act pop-concert musical in what is a song-cycle of the Tudor Queens turned Pop Princesses who remix five hundred years of history to win their crowns. Who had it the worst under Henry’s reign? Who deserves the most sympathy? And is it all about his-story or is it time for a bit of herstory? The beauty of Six is that it’s a star vehicle for female and gender diverse talents. Thankfully, the creative team have offered up six of the best to fangirl over, from young veterans of the stage through to mainstage debuts: Sarah Murr as Catherine of Aragon, Mia Paris Scalise as Anne Boleyn, Cara Bessey as Jane Seymour, Kadesa Honeyhill as Anna of Cleves, Angela Brischetto as Katherine Howard, and Lorinda May Merrypor as Catherine Parr. Alongside them...

Theatre fans, take note. Sydney Theatre Company – Sydney’s largest and most prominent theatre producer – has just dropped the details for its 2026 season. The beautifully varied 2026 season will comprise 13 productions, with more than 80 beloved and emerging performers set to take to the stage throughout the year. Following Kip Williams' departure from the company, the 2026 season will be the first curated by new Artistic Director Mitchell Butel, who joined STC in late 2025. Reflecting on what theatre-goers can expect in 2026, Butel described the 2026 program as a "season of dream teams: celebrating the diversity of Australian storytelling. Highlights from STC’s 2026 season will include three world premieres of brand-new Australian works, the Australian Premiere of the most awarded Broadway play of 2025, the Sydney premiere of a new Australian musical and a handful of other Australian and international plays. If you’re keen to see something new, get in line for the season’s key world premieres: Whispering Jack: The John Farnham Musical (from award-winning writer and director Jack Yabsley), Bennelong in London (by Jane Harrison, the brilliant playwright behind The Visitors and Stolen) and Strong is the New Pretty by Olivier Award-winning playwright Suzie Miller. Bennelong in London will be showing from July 24 until August 16 2026, Strong is the New Pretty will be playing from October 26 until December 5 2026, and Whispering Jack: The John Farnham Musical will be showing...

Theatregoers, ballet fans and lovers of all things gothic, there’s a union of all your interests out there, and it’s making a bloody return to Sydney this September and November. Dracula: Ballet at its Darkest takes the centuries-old story of the world’s most famous vampire and turns it into a tragedy told through dance. The Australian-made BIG Live production has played sold-out seasons in London’s West End, Edinburgh, San Francisco and Singapore, breaking the all-time record for the largest attended single production of Australian-made ballet. But it’s back on familiar hunting grounds now, and will spread its tale of dark romance and bloodlust, thanks to acclaimed performances by an alumni cast. That starring cast includes returning performers Ervin Zagidullin as Dracula and Abbey Hansen as Mina Harker, supported by renowned guest artist Adamzhan Bakhtiyar as Dracula in select performances. They’re choreographed by BIG Live Co-Founder Joel Burke, who, with Dracula, wanted to create a ballet that could be enjoyed by veteran and newcomer audiences alike. And as for the music, core to any ballet show, Dracula is scored by the Emmy Award-winning composer Jason Fernandez, and features classical works from maestros like Bach, Rachmaninov, Mozart, Mendelssohn and Debussy.  Expect fiery passion, bared teeth, captivating physicality and the kind of gothic grandeur that only Dracula himself could conjure. A strictly limited season will play at the State Theatre from September...

What does it take to turn a dream into a sporting reality? A whole lot of fancy footwork and female empowerment, that’s what. Sydney Theatre Company’s Strong is the New Pretty tells the remarkable story of the birth of the AFLW, now running at the Sydney Opera House’s Drama Theatre until December 12. Acclaimed Australian playwright Suzie Miller (Prima Facie, RBG: Of Many, Inter Alia), takes this story of sporting history and turns it into something much bigger: a celebration of women challenging the status quo, demanding equal opportunities and refusing to take no for an answer. First, a bit of background. Yes, women and girls have been playing Aussie rules football for aeons, but opportunities to compete in professional leagues weren’t non-existent until an official report in 2010 recommended a national women's competition. Seven years later, after decades of advocacy, eight teams took to the field for the inaugural AFLW season. Directed by Sarah Giles (The Importance of Being Earnest, No Pay? No Way!) and featuring an outstanding ensemble of eight women – Lucy Bell, Amy Hack, Amy Ingram, Edyll, Amber McMahon, Tara Morice, Nyasha Ogden and Contessa Treffone – who seamlessly shift between scenes and settings with infectious energy and wry wit. We move through the everyday lives of the women who helped make the league happen, from teachers and midwives to grocery workers. These weren't just footballers; they were mothers, colleagues and working women fitting their sporting...