The Queensland Conservatorium’s Bachelor of Acting Company 2025 presents their final production for the year, Moira Buffini’s Welcome to Thebes. A gripping political drama set in a fictional modern-day Thebes, the play explores themes of justice, power, and the cost of peace.
Premiering in London in 2010, Welcome to Thebes draws on Greek mythology, reimagined through a modern lens. The city of Thebes is recovering from civil war, with a new government led by Eurydice (Angela Lal), widow of Creon. Together with her cabinet, they struggle to rebuild a shattered society that is torn by loss, poverty, and trauma.
Into this tense environment arrives Theseus (Matthew Ianna), a powerful and confident First Citizen of Athens. He brings promises of aid, but with it, comes demands. What begins as diplomacy soon turns into a complex power play. Eurydice must walk a fine line between appeasing foreign interests and defending her people’s fragile hope. As tensions rise, the citizens are forced to reckon with the past and decide what kind of future they are willing to fight for.
Director Timothy Wynn sets the scene before the house lights are even dimmed. A militia sergeant named Miletus and two young soldiers under his command, Scud and Megaera, burst into the auditorium with machine guns.
The trio, played by Rhys Canham, Rushad Katrak and Emma Kidd, address the audience in a tense fourth wall breaking moment. It’s a menacing performance, backed up with an emotional monologue from Kidd, and sets the scene for the world we are about to enter.
Under the curtain, the trio discover the body of Polynices (Michael Hawkins), a warlord in the recently ended civil war and brother of Antigone (Jordana Wenke) and Ismene (Ari Banerjee). This death sets the events of the play in motion.
The curtains draw back and Claira Ruthenberg’s set transports us to the war-torn city of Thebes. Piles of rubble, made from twisted bits of clothes and bric-a-brac, pepper the stage. The backdrop is a patchwork of sheer white fabric, lightly stained with blood.
Wynn’s direction and Buffini’s script stretch the entire cast’s dramatic chops, but none more so than its two leads. As Eurydice, Angela Lal brings natural gravitas to the role of a newly elected president. She commands attention in her public addresses, but it’s her gut-wrenching Act Two outburst scene that truly breaks our hearts.
Matthew Ianna captures the duality of the human experience as Theseus, balancing political authority with moments of genuine vulnerability. As the quirky assistant Talthybia, Grace Faint finds endearing comedy among the drama. Her character arc is a satisfying one.
As Prince Tydeus and Pargeia, Riley Fahey and Cecilia Varese bring the villainy. Their volatile dynamic is compelling to watch.
The Class of 2026 have the rare opportunity to appear on stage in supporting and ensemble roles. Second year Acting students Bonny Treloar and Georgia Cassidy work well as cabinet members in group scenes alongside Darcy Jackson, Allegra Marino and Rory Gryffin. Together, they provide welcome moments of humour that lands well with the opening night audience.
Queensland College of Art Honours student Claira Ruthenberg also serves as costume designer. Under the guidance of mentor Tanja Beer, she grounds the story in its timeless yet contemporary world with an evocative blend of flowing Grecian robes and modern corporate attire.
Welcome to Thebes challenges its young cast to wrestle with the ghosts of ancient stories and the harsh realities of today. In doing so, they deliver a production that is both thought-provoking and emotionally raw. With confident direction and a committed ensemble, this is a compelling final production for the Bachelor of Acting Company 2025, proving the future of theatre is in strong hands.
Welcome to Thebes runs to 19 July at the Queensland Multicultural Centre, 102 Main Street Kangaroo Point Qld 4169.
Tickets: https://www.qtix.com.au/whats-on/2025/qcgu-welcome-to-thebes-by-moira-buffini
Website: https://www.griffith.edu.au/arts-education-law/queensland-conservatorium
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/qldcon.acting/
Photo credits: Lily Beck
