OBSERVER: Red Stitch 2026
Melbourne’s Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre has unveiled its 2026 season, marking the company’s 25th anniversary with a program that reflects its ‘legacy of risk-taking, excellence and artist-led storytelling.’
Anchored by a landmark revival of Ray Lawler’s The Doll Trilogy, the season also features new international works, and a world premiere as part of Red Stitch’s INK program, which champions original Australian writing.
Red Stitch Artistic Director Ella Caldwell says: “Our 25th anniversary season is a celebration of the core values that have shaped Red Stitch from the very beginning – the intimacy of our space, the strength of our ensemble, and a fierce belief in the power of great writing. As an ensemble company, our focus has always been on the relationship between actors and the playwright’s words on the page, and the audience travelling alongside us.
“This program brings together extraordinary international voices, urgent new Australian work, and one of the most significant works in our national canon, The Doll Trilogy, realised as it was meant to be experienced by an ensemble of actors inhabiting the roles across three decades.
“Ray Lawler was a trailblazer, a master of his craft and one of Australia’s most influential artists. While The Doll is widely recognised for its significant contribution to dramatic literature, the full trilogy is rarely staged due to its scale and complexity – but at Red Stitch, we love a challenge.”
Red Stitch’s 2026 season includes:
• The Doll Trilogy by Ray Lawler (Feb. 21 – Apr. 11
• Anna X by Joseph Charlton (May 27 – June 21)
• Funeral Flowers by Emma Dennis-Edwards (July 29 – August 23)
• Luke by Angus Cameron — premiere, INK program (Sept. 16 – Oct. 11)
• Carbon by Pier Lorenzo Pisano (Nov. 11 – Dec. 6)
Cheryl Threadgold