A transaction fee of $5.50 applies when booking via us. Other agents may charge other fees.
About this production
Max. Sam. Lenny. Joey. Teddy. And Ruth. In a crowded house in East London lives a family of butchers, fighters, and men bound by routine and rivalry. When Teddy returns from America with his wife Ruth — a woman his family has never met — old tensions surface and an unsettling battle for control begins. As loyalties shift and desires emerge, the household is thrown into a dangerous and unpredictable power game.
Directed and Designed by Greg Carroll (Swansong, Glory Dazed) with Sound by Paul Norton (Much Ado About Nothing) — this intimate new production brings together an outstanding cast of Australian stage and screen talent.
Starring Kate Kendall (Stingers, Rush) as Ruth, Richard Piper (The Lady in the Van, Twelfth Night, Come from Away) as Max, Ben Geurens (Reign) as Lenny, Peter Houghton (Shakespeare in Love, North by Northwest) as Teddy, David Field (City Homicide) as Sam & Eddie Orton (Touching The Void) as Joey.
Kate Kendall is one of Australia's most acclaimed stage and screen actors, known for her commanding presence and razor-sharp instincts. Her credits span the Melbourne Theatre Company, Malthouse Theatre and Belvoir St, alongside long-running television roles.
Richard Piper
Max
Richard has spent forty-four years of his career on stage. Trained in London, he was soon performing on the West End in Grease and Elvis, and came to Australia in 1987 with cult cabaret band The Bouncing Czecks. Most recently, Richard appeared in Seventeen for Melbourne Theatre Company and Death of a Salesman for Red Line Productions. For Melbourne Theatre Company, he's appeared in over forty productions, including: As You Like It, The Lady in the Van, Twelfth Night, Born Yesterday, Double Indemnity, Ghosts, Music, The Gift, Drowsy Chaperone, The Daylight Atheist (Green Room Award for Best Actor). For Melbourne's Malthouse: The Black Rider, 'Tis Pity She's a Whore. For Sydney Theatre Company: The Secret River, Gross und Klein, Great Expectations, Moby Dick. Bell Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night's Dream, The War of the Roses, Henry V, Henry IV. STCSA: Moby Dick, Marat Sade, Restoration. Also, an accomplished musical theatre performer, Richard played the mayor in the award-winning, Come from Away and Dad in Billy Elliot.
Ben Geurens
Lenny
Ben Geurens is an Australian actor whose career spans theatre, television, and film across Australia, the United States, and Canada. A graduate of National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), Ben has appeared extensively on stage and screen for more than three decades.
Internationally, he is best known for his series regular roles in Reign and Legacies, alongside appearances in The Good Place and Rebel Moon directed by Zack Snyder. His Australian screen credits include The Jesters, Molly, Catching Milat, Paper Giants: Magazine Wars, Underbelly: Badness, Packed to the Rafters, Home and Away, and Neighbours. His film work includes the cult Australian horror Body Melt and the acclaimed independent feature Locusts.
On stage, Ben has worked with many of Australia's leading theatre companies. With Melbourne Theatre Company he appeared in Entertaining Mr Sloane, The History Boys, and The Glass Soldier. For Sydney Theatre Company he performed in The Great, and at Malthouse Theatre he appeared in Hate.
Ben has maintained a long creative collaboration with director, Nick Pollock, with the pair producing independent theatre works with productions of This Is Our Youth at 45 Downstairs and Shining City at Griffin Theatre Company and more recently developing an original immersive performance project together set for 2027.
Peter Houghton
Teddy
Peter has performed in Macbeth,Misalliance, Birthrights, Laughter on the 23 Floor, Sweet Bird of Youth, HisGirl Friday, Joy of Text, Shakespeare in Love, Three Little Words (MelbourneTheatre Company); The Trial andTravesties (Sydney Theatre Company); Tartuffe,The Pitch, A View Of Concrete, Ruby Moon, Tear From A Glass Eye (MalthouseTheatre); The Graduate with Jerry Hall (HerMajesty’s Theatre); The Beast (AmbassadorGroup); North by Northwest (Kaye andMcLean). King John, The Crucible, Endgame(11th Hour) and most recently Hamlet at 45 Downstairs.
As Playwright: The Pitch (Malthouse, National Tour, UKtour, Black Swan, Queensland Theatre Company); The China Incident (National tour, Malthouse Theatre); A Commercial Farce (Malthouse Theatre,National tour); The Colours (MTC).
As Director: Art and Soul, True Minds, The Odd Couple,Hinterland, The Architect, Heartbreak Choir, Boy at the Edge of Everything (MTC);Svetlana in Slingbacks, God’s Last Acre,The China Incident (Malthouse Theatre); Noisesoff (Marriner Theatres); Footprintson Water (Griffin); No Man’s Island (MelbourneFestival).
Awards: Peter hasreceived several Green Room Awards including for acting (The Pitch, Endgame), direction (Footprintson Water, No Man’s Island) and as playwright (The Pitch). His production of Boyat the Edge of Everything won a Drama Victoria Award for best production.
Screen Creditsinclude: Molly, Killing Time, The Eyeof The Storm, Howzat Kerry Packer’s War, Utopia, Gallipoli, Wrong Kind of Black, Newstopia, Three Dollars, Metal Skin among others.
His productions with Australian Shakespeare Company include A Midsummer Nights Dream, Hamlet, Comedy ofErrors and Merry Wives of Windsor.
David Field
Sam
David Field is one of Australia's most distinctive character actors, with iconic film and television credits including Chopper, Two Hands, Cosi and The Rover. As Sam, the family's softer, watchful brother, he brings warmth and quiet devastation in equal measure.
Eddie Orton
Joey
Eddie is a graduate of the National Theatre Drama School. His recent credits include 37 (Melbourne Theatre Company & Queensland Theatre), Touching The Void (Melbourne Theatre Company); Let The Right One In (Darlinghurst Theatre Company); Werewolf (Arts Centre Melbourne); Australian Open (Theatreworks); Heroes Of The Fourth Turning (Outhouse Theatre); Jurassica (Red Stitch Actors' Theatre); The Last Train To Madeline (Fever 103) and The Players (Bell Shakespeare). He is proudly represented by Ian White Management.
Creatives
Greg Carroll
Director
Book with Confidence
Ticket Exchanges
You can exchange your tickets up to 3 hours prior to the performance time.
A transaction fee of $5.50 applies when booking via us. Other agents may charge other fees.
FAQ
The show is listed as Fully Booked, does this mean it is sold out?
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If a show is 'Fully Booked' this means there are no more tickets available, however more allocation may sometimes become available closer to the performance date if other patrons exchange their tickets.
Some performances may have a waitlist available which will be accessible via the show information page. We encourage guests to sign up so we can let you know when more tickets are released.
How do I request a date change?
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Ticket exchanges are sometimes necessary for our patrons due to weather conditions, family illness or unexpected emergencies. You can exchange tickets for another performance date, subject to availability (conditions apply). If a performance is cancelled due to weather, you are eligible for a lifetime credit note for the face value of your tickets. This is valid for any ASC production in Australia.
For MAINSTAGE performances, all exchanges must be made 3 hours prior to the performance start time.
For FAMILY THEATRE performances, all exchanges must be made 1 hour prior to the performance start time.
How will I be notified of a cancelled show due to bad weather?
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If a performance is to be cancelled, patrons will be notified via a text message and an email. We will also display a cancellation notice on the home page of our website.
Earliest notification of a cancelled performance will be on-the-day-of the scheduled performance and in some circumstances, may be within an hour of the scheduled start time.
Where do I collect lost property?
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If you have lost an item at one of our shows please call (03) 8676 7511 or email boxoffice@shakespeareaustralia.com.au.
If you find an item, please pass it onto one of our team members so it can be reunited with its owner.
Can I meet and greet the performers after the show?
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Meet-and-greets are typically reserved for important requests, such as for children with unique needs, and are subject to performer health, schedule, and weather/venue conditions.
Even when pre-arranged, unforeseen circumstances may require us to adjust or cancel them at short notice. If you’d like to request a meet-and-greet, please reach out in advance and we will do our best to accommodate.
What does it mean when a performance says “allocation exhausted”?
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Allocation exhausted means that there are currently no tickets available for this event. More tickets may be released, but this is not guaranteed. If you are looking for a single extra ticket, please contact our Box Office on 03 8676 7511.
What happens if the weather is bad?
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Earliest notification of a cancelled performance will be on the day of the performance. Performances usually proceed in light drizzle, but cancellations do occur when needed.
If a performance is cancelled, patrons will be notified via text message and email.
Guests will be able to exchange their tickets for another night, or receive a credit note for future ASC performances.
Where can I buy tickets?
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Our primary location for ticket sales is via our website.
Alternatively, you may use our secondary ticketing partners: Ticketmaster, TodayTix and Halftix.
Onsite Box Office Sales are also permitted on arrival, (subject to availability).
Please note, Viagogo is not a legitimate ticket seller for any ASC events.
What is a Companion Card Ticket?
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This ticket is for carers and support works with a valid Companion Card.
This card is for people with significant and permanent disability who have a lifelong need for a high level of support to participate in community events and activities.
The card allows a person’s carer free entry into participating venues and events.
Companion Cards are part of a nationally run program that aims to promote a person’s right to fair ticketing and to make community access and participation more accessible and affordable.
When purchasing a Companion Ticket, please remember to bring your companion card with you so our box office team may sight it on arrival. If you are not able to provide a valid companion card, you may be asked to upgrade your ticket to a different price type.
What time does the performance start?
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The performance start time is the marked time on your ticket and booking confirmation; it is not the venue opening time.
Photos & Filming
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You are allowed to take photos of the stage, as well as with your family and friends before the show. However, no photos or video are permitted during the performance.
Can I smoke onsite?
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Our audience areas are smoke-free, especially at our family shows. Each venue has a different policy on smoking. Check out the venue information pages to know more.
Why do weather cancellations happen last minute?
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We cannot gather accurate and up to date weather data from the Bureau of Meteorology until approximately 2 hours prior to the start of each show.
We closely monitor rain maps and radars to assess whether or not the predicted forecast will eventuate as planned, be delayed, change directions or disperse.
The current El Nino pattern adds another layer of complexity to assess for cancellations. It means that sudden weather changes are more likely and thus, advance warning for some weather events has been compromised.
In the event of a cancellation, customers will be notified by a text message and an email, and a public notice will be placed on the home page of the website.
Can I bring my dog?
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Dogs are not allowed at performances of mainstage or family theatre shows. However, service animals are always welcome.
What time does the venue open?
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For Mainstage Under The Stars Performances
The gates to the performance area open 2 hours prior to the start of the show.
For Outdoor Family Theatre Performances
The performance area opens 1 hour prior to the performance.
How do I get there?
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Each venue has its own information page with maps, directions, transport and other general information. You may find this page on the show page by clicking the button labeled "Venue Information."
Do you accept Companion Card?
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The Australian Shakespeare Company is pleased to support the Companion Card program. You may purchase one Companion Card ticket during the regular booking process.
If you require additional Companion Card tickets, please contact the box office directly on 03 8676 7511.
Please ensure to bring your valid companion card with you on the date of the performance.
I have a question regarding accessibility
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We are here to help you and make the most of your experience, so please let us know your individual requirements when booking. You can contact us on 03 8676 7511 or email boxoffice@shakespeareaustralia.com.au.
Please note, all performances take place on grass.
