It’s been one year since The Scoop was created, and the first feature published was my personal list of Favourite Shows of the year. As 2025 comes to a close, it’s time to take a look back at some of the shows that stood out this year.
The Scoop’s team of writers are all deeply passionate about live theatre, and this comes across in their review writing. One of our writers, Caitlin Green, summed it up best in her review of Fly Girl by Ensemble Theatre:
“Amongst all the noise, it’s easy to lose sight of what we are really contributing. No, we’re not saving lives, but theatre is the beating heart of our society. It starts conversations, it makes people feel seen. It keeps our stories alive.”
So without further ado, let’s take a look at The Scoop’s Favourite Plays of 2025, in no particular order, starting with the touring productions.
Favourite Mainstage Play – Touring Productions
Trent Dalton’s Love Stories
Brisbane Festival and Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC)
This was on the list for 2024, and it’s back this year. Based on Trent Dalton’s non fiction book of the same name, Love Stories premiered at Brisbane Festival and embarked on a multi-city national tour in 2025.
What we said at the time:
“What struck me first was the warmth of the ensemble. This is truly an actor’s showcase, and each performer brought a unique texture to the night.”
“Trent Dalton’s Love Stories is exactly what its title promises: an ode to the messy, fragile, hilarious, transformative thing that makes us human.”
Read the full review here.
Can I still see this show?
Not currently. But we may not have seen the last of this wonderful play!
RBG: Of Many, One
Sydney Theatre Company
This one is the Editor’s pick. Written by Suzie Miller and directed by Priscilla Jackman, RBG: Of Many, One is a compelling portrait of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. A trailblazing US Supreme Court Justice, ‘RBG’ dedicated her life to fighting for gender equality and civil rights. The 2025 encore season saw the show take a multi-city tour.
What we said at the time:
“At the centre of the show is Heather Mitchell, giving what can best be described as a masterclass in solo performance. Mitchell doesn’t just play Ginsburg; she becomes her. From the quick wit and sharp mind to the physical transformation that sees her age decades before our eyes, Mitchell’s performance is astonishing.”
Read the full review here.
Can I still see this show?
Yes! What was meant to be a victory lap in 2025, has extended again with more seasons promised for 2026. Black Swan Perth has a season, as does State Theatre Company South Australia and Geelong Arts Centre. This one is an absolute must see. Get tickets while you can.
The 39 Steps
Woodward Productions and Neil Gooding Productions
Mix Alfred Hitchcock’s classic spy thriller with a dash of Monty Python-style chaos, and you get The 39 Steps. A turbo-charged, Olivier and Tony Award-winning comedy smash, it features four actors who play 130 characters.
What we said at the time:
“With a mix of thrilling spy stuff and choreographed chaotic comedy, Director Damien Ryan has put together a brilliant masterpiece of heightened theatrical entertainment.”
“The 39 Steps is an adventure for everyone: part parody, part love letter to Hitchcock, and entirely riotous fun. A highlight of the year, this production doesn’t just add spring to your step. It practically sends you leaping out of the theatre with joy.”
Read the full review here.
Can I still see this show?
No. This tour has ended.
Shirley Valentine
Woodward Productions and Neil Gooding Productions
The heartwarming, hilarious, and inspiring story of Shirley Valentine, written by Willy Russell and directed by Lee Lewis, was brought to life by Natalie Bassingthwaighte in her greatest acting challenge to date.
What we said at the time:
“The audience is taken on an emotional rollercoaster across the two hours. Shifting from bursts of laughter to moments of quiet reflection as we wipe tears from our cheeks, Natalie’s masterful performance is going to stay with us.”
Read the full review here.
Can I still see this show?
No. This tour has ended.
The Visitors
Moogahlin Performing Arts and Sydney Theatre Company
In an epic opening to Brisbane’s Clancestry festival, The Visitors by Jane Harrison, takes audiences back in time to January 1788 when the First Fleet arrived at Sydney Cove.
What we said at the time:
“The Visitors transforms a historic Australian event into a powerful platform for First Nations voices. In this fateful meeting between seven clan leaders, they debate the merit in welcoming the fleet of visitors approaching them.”
“With her distinctive blend of comedic flair and dark wit, storytelling sensation Jane Harrison blurs the past, present, and future in this thought-provoking ethical exploration.“
“Director Wesley Enoch masterfully breathes life into Harrison’s work, bringing a layered perspective of culture and ethics to the production.”
Read the full review here.
Can I still see this show?
The Visitors is touring overseas in 2026, with shows in New York City in January and Aotearoa, New Zealand in April. Follow their socials to keep up with the journey.
Looking for Alibrandi
Brink Productions
Director Stephen Nicolazzo brought Melina Marchetta’s best-selling novel to the stage in 2025 for a national tour. Vidya Rajan’s adaptation offered audiences a fresh and dynamic retelling of the Australian classic.
What we said at the time:
“What makes this production feel so alive is its balance of nostalgia with sharp contemporary insight. It reminds us that the challenges of growing up between two worlds never really change. The audience was fully along for the ride, laughing, gasping, and swept up in the emotional journey.”
Read the full review here.
Can I still see this show?
No, this tour has ended.
Favourite Mainstage Play – Non Touring Productions
The Spare Room
Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney
After close to a fifteen-year hiatus, Australian powerhouse Judy Davis returned to the stage in the highly anticipated adaption of Helen Garner’s 2008 acclaimed novel The Spare Room. Belvoir St Theatre’s resident Artistic Director, Eamon Flack, served as both adapter and director in what our reviewer described as a “must-see, theatrical tour-de-force.”
What we said at the time:
“At no time does The Spare Room try to extract cheap tears from its audience. It is a richly layered and achingly honest portrait of two deeply relatable friends, each grappling with their own monumental struggle. It revels in ambiguity, posing profound and haunting questions that linger…”
Read the full review here.
Can I still see this show?
Not at the moment.
Grief Is The Thing With Feathers
Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney and Andrew Henry Presents
Max Porter’s exquisite verse novel has been a literary sensation, garnering an ardent tribe of devotees. In the expert hands of director Simon Phillips, alongside co-adaptors Nick Schlieper and star Toby Schmitz, the fresh stage version brought theatricality and insight.
What we said at the time:
“It isn’t just musical in the literal sense. The text itself has its own kind of lyricism, and the entire team leans into that symphony with all their might. The whole show has this sort of incredible, magical quality to it.”
“This production hit me like a wave. Actually, like a whole ocean. There were moments I felt like I could come up for air, to breathe, to belly laugh, then I’d be completely submerged again, drowning in feelings I didn’t even realise I was holding onto. It was beautiful. Brutal. Healing.”
Read the full review here.
Can I still see this show?
Not at the moment.
Orlando
Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney
Carissa Licciardello and Elsie Yager’s joyous adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s most beloved and brilliant novel saw four actors play Orlando, a young courtier, who journeyed through 400 years of history in search of love, identity, and purpose.
What we said at the time:
“With its playful leaps across four centuries and a protagonist who refuses to be pinned down by gender or convention, Orlando has long been considered a dazzling, ‘unstageable’ novel. Belvoir St Theatre embraces the challenge head-on.”
“An ambitious theatrical experiment with flashes of brilliance, Orlando is a show that some will find exhilarating, others perplexing. But it’s one that is undeniably worth the conversation afterwards.”
Read the full review here.
Can I still see this show?
Not at the moment.
Fly Girl
Ensemble Theatre, Sydney
Genevieve Hegney and Catherine Moore’s brand-new comedy, Fly Girl, tells the story of Deborah Lawrie, the first female pilot to fly for a major Australian airline. Directed by Janine Watson, the show delves into her fight for equality in the aviation industry against the backdrop of the 1970s.
What we said at the time:
“I love, love, love seeing new Australian work find its space, its audience, and its confidence. Ensemble Theatre deserves huge credit for its consistent effort to champion local artists and the stories that reflect who we are.”
“Seeing Deborah Lawrie honoured on that stage was a reminder that the arts connect us and ensure we don’t forget. Don’t forget our people, our mistakes, our triumphs. Fly Girl cuts through the noise. It offers a night of reprieve, a breath of fresh air and a deep belly laugh.”
Read the full review here.
Can I still see this show?
Not at the moment, but keep an eye out for future productions!
Eureka Day
Outhouse Theatre Company and Seymour Centre, Sydney
Directed by Craig Baldwin, the Sydney premiere of Jonathan Spector’s Eureka Day unfolds within a hyper-progressive private primary school, using its proudly inclusive community as a sharp microcosm of contemporary society. When a mumps outbreak strikes, good intentions quickly give way to chaos. This multi-award-winning play incisively exposes the fragility of civil discourse, and the uncomfortable reality of how hard it has become to truly listen to those we disagree with.
What we said at the time:
“This shrewd social satire interrogates the idea of vaccines from all angles equally. It is both infectiously hilarious and pragmatically polarising. Overflowing with comic poise, Eureka Day’s razor-sharp commentary left me laughing just as much as it left me thinking.”
Read the full review here.
Can I still see this show?
No, the season has ended.
Mother Play
Melbourne Theatre Company
Hot off the heels of a successful Broadway run, Mother Play is a poignant and moving exploration of family, resilience and the complexities of motherhood. Directed by Lee Lewis, the Tony nominated play led by Sigrid Thornton brought Paula Vogel’s semi-autobiographical story to life.
What we said at the time:
“Mother Play is about love in all of its stages. It is heart-wrenching and at times difficult to watch due to its raw frankness about how love can change us. On a personal note, it has changed the way I view my relationships and makes me reconsider the temptation to hold a grudge.”
Read the full review here.
Can I still see this show?
No, the season has ended.
Rebecca
Melbourne Theatre Company
This timeless tale, by Daphe du Maurier, reinvented the Gothic genre for modern audiences while Alfred Hitchcock’s masterful film adaptation further cemented its legend as one of the iconic tales of the twentieth century. Anne-Louise Sarks’ new adaptation invited us back to this ghostly manor, conjuring up the living and the dead who haunt its halls.
What we said at the time:
“Rebecca is an exceptional piece of theatre, one of the finest to grace Australia’s stages this year. It is a sophisticated adaptation that lets the work hang in its complexities and subtleties.”
“Anne-Louise Sarks’ direction is exceptional. She excavates the key emotional beats and characters from a long and complex novel, succeeding where film adaptations have failed in conveying the waking-nightmare quality of du Maurier’s text. This isn’t garish, untethered gothic horror. There are no literal ghosts; the real terror comes from within.”
Read the full review here.
Can I still see the show?
No, the season has ended.
A Few Good Men
Queensland Theatre Company
Long before Hollywood, this sizzling legal drama from the masterful Aaron Sorkin dominated Broadway, and court was in session for QPAC’s 40th Birthday celebrations. Directed by Daniel Evans, a cast of rising stars went head-to-head with a swathe of stage legends in a courtroom tour-de-force.
What we said at the time:
“A Few Good Men is powerful, thrilling and incredibly well crafted. It takes a story that is familiar to many and presents it with boldness and clarity. It is by far one of Queensland Theatre Company’s strongest productions in years, a technical and performance masterclass.”
Read the full review here.
Can I still see the show?
No, the season has ended.
Honourable Mention
The Player Kings Part 1 & 2
Sport For Jove, Sydney
Eight plays, 17 cast members, 12 hours. The Player Kings was split into two parts: The Hollow Crown (Richard II, Henry IV Parts 1 and 2, and Henry V) and The War of the Roses (Henry VI Parts 1, 2 and 3, and Richard III).
With an option to see both parts separately or in one gloriously long day, it was glorious to see director Damien Ryan go once more into the world of vain, heroic, foolish and all too human kings.
What we said at the time:
“A standing ovation, almost de rigueur for opening nights and not always merited, was here a thundering acclamation of a remarkable experience. Though quite the endurance test for everyone, this is genuinely spine-tingling theatre with real swagger and attitude.”
Read the full review here.
Can I still see the show?
No, the season has ended.
Favourite Indie Play
Mary Jane
Mi Todo Productions and Old Fitz Theatre, Sydney
Mary Jane, written by Amy Herzog, follows a mother on her journey with her sick child. From hospital to home and back again, this is the story of a single mother in an impossible family situation. After seeing the production on Broadway, Eloise Snape obtained the rights to the play. She co-produced and starred in this Australian premiere.
What we said at the time:
“This caring community of supportive women, both the creatives and the characters themselves, makes Mary Jane undeniably memorable. The play explores the challenges and triumphs of a mother as she navigates the realities of caregiving.”
“I cannot recommend Mary Jane enough. You will find hope in unexpected places and you will learn how deep a mother’s love really is.”
Read the full review here.
Can I still see the show?
No, the season has ended.
Dial M For Murder
Theatre Works and Smoke & Mirrors Productions, Melbourne
Made famous by Hitchcock’s iconic film of the same name, this thrilling reimagining of Dial M for Murder, directed by Dean Drieberg, proves that the themes it explores are more pertinent than ever before.
What we said at the time:
“Dial M for Murder is a play that has plenty to chew on. It is an adaptation that takes bold swings and lands each one. A refreshing whodunnit, it keeps you gripped tight as the story twists and turns.”
Read the full review here.
Can I still see the show?
No, the season has ended.
RED
Little Life Productions and Company 16, Melbourne
fortyfivedownstairs was the perfect setting for John Logan’s Tony Award-winning play RED, directed by lain Sinclair. An intense, exhilarating drama that takes a raw look at the collision of art and ambition through the eyes of one of the 20th century’s most celebrated and challenging artists, Mark Rothko.
What we said at the time:
“We are a culture increasingly unable to sit with our thoughts. RED asks us to do exactly that and let the stillness wrap around us. We are asked to move beyond likability and go towards what is real, no matter how painful that may be.”
Read the full review here.
Can I still see the show?
No, the season has ended.
Scenes From A Yellow Peril
The Reaction Theory and BIPOC Arts with QPAC, Brisbane
From award-winning Chinese-New Zealand writer and poet Nathan Joe, Scenes From a Yellow Peril, co-directed by Chelsea August and Egan Sun-Bin, was less a play and more of a punchy, poetic mixtape of insights that explored the painful ways which people are othered, yet refusing to be silenced.
What we said at the time:
“There are few productions that grab you by the collar and pull you headfirst into their truth. Scenes from a Yellow Peril is one of them – a visceral, poetic and emotionally explosive reckoning with the weight of racialised identity in so-called Australia.”
“In a country that still wrestles with its colonial legacy and ongoing systemic inequality, Scenes From A Yellow Peril is both a protest and a balm. A place for reflection, connection, and, perhaps, the start of meaningful change. This is what theatre should be: a mirror, a megaphone, a movement.”
Read the full review here.
Can I still see the show?
No, the season has ended.
The Dead Devils of Cockle Creek
Cut & Run Productions and PIP Theatre, Brisbane
Working out of an isolated shack in Tasmania’s wilderness, an environmental scientist tries to protect an endangered species as the realities of the job press in from all sides. When a single night spirals out of control after unexpected visitors arrive, ideals around environmentalism, control and responsibility are put to the test.
Authored by Brisbane-based playwright Kathryn Marquet, The Dead Devils of Cockle Creek, directed by Darcy Jones, asks how far principle can really take you when survival demands something far messier.
What we said at the time:
“A wild journey from start to finish, The Dead Devils of Cockle Creek will hold audiences captive. It’s a wickedly clever, uncomfortably timely, and outrageously funny night at the theatre.”
“Cut & Run’s commitment to sustainability is evident in their use of pre-owned and recycled materials, which enhance the set’s authentic, lived-in feel.”
Read the full review here.
Can I still see the show?
No, the season has ended.
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Holden Street Theatres, Adelaide
A multi-award winning cast appeared in one of the greatest plays of the 20th century, Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? First staged in October 1962 and famously adored by the film adaptation, the play examines the complexities of the marriage of middle-aged couple Martha and George, played by Martha Lott and Brant Eustice.
What we said at the time:
“It’s a long haul; three hours locked in a cluttered lounge with a couple whose toxicity could be bottled and sold, and yet Peter Goers’ direction keeps the energy from sagging. This isn’t a play that moves like the moon, with its rises and falls. It’s more like a firework that just refuses to burn out. Even the rare moments of reprieve are loaded, like when George walks in with flowers and you think, just for a second, that everything’s going to be fine. (It’s not.)”
Read the full review here.
Can I still see the show?
No, the season has ended.
Honourable Mentions
Ophelia Thinks Harder
Fingerless Theatre in association with bAKEHOUSE Theatre Co, Sydney
Ophelia has a lot going on: her boyfriend, Hamlet, is being weird with her, and that was before he murdered her father and covered it up. Written by Jean Betts and directed by Alex Kendall Robson, Ophelia Thinks Harder is a cheeky, irreverent and insightful feminist reimagining of Shakespeare’s monumental masterpiece.
What we said at the time:
“This production is a timely reminder of how people in power often abuse it. It’s not all doom and gloom though. The play is not only Shakespearean in its content but also in its tone and form. It blends comedy and tragedy by using slapstick and farce to pair with its profound sense of darkness.”
Read the full review here.
Can I still see the show?
No, the season has ended.
The Shark Arm Case
Deadhouse Productions, Sydney
Founded in 2007 by Stephen Carnell, Deadhouse Productions specialises in Australian true crime dramas performed in historic locations. The Justice and Police Museum is used to tell the story of The Shark Arm Case. In 1935, a tiger shark held in Coogee Aquarium regurgitated a human arm bearing a distinctive tattoo. This bizarre event kick-started an investigation that took 1930s Sydney by storm.
What we said at the time:
“This riveting tale of fraud, questionable morality and murder…pays wonderful homage to our fascination with the bizarre and macabre. The journey we are taken on encourages us to reflect on how the actions of one person can ruin so many lives. And it is not necessarily the person we expect.”
Read the full review here.
Can I still see the show?
No, the season has ended.
Don’t Panic! (It’s Happened Before)
Sam Bowden, Old Fitz Theatre, Sydney
Don’t Panic! is a play about how history repeats itself and, whether you like it or not, we’re all trapped on the hamster wheel, destined to cock it up again and again and again. The one-man show, written and performed by Sam Bowden, first graced stages at the Sydney Fringe Festival in 2023. In 2024, it toured Australia, and in 2025, made its theatre debut, directed by Artie Gallagher.
What we said at the time:
“Watching Don’t Panic! (It’s Happened Before) feels like a drunk conversation with friends. Bowden turns pop culture references, conspiracy theories and ‘impolite descriptions of the English’ into a wonderful tale of hope.”
Read the full review here.
Can I still see the show?
No, the season has ended. But look out for further performances.
Favourite Youth Production
Work, But This Time Like You Mean it
Canberra Youth Theatre
Written by Honor Webster-Mannison as part of the company’s Emerging Playwright Commission, Work, But This Time Like You Mean It captures the absolute absurdity that occurs for young people working in fast food restaurants. Directed by Luke Rogers, the play premiered in Canberra before making its Sydney debut.
What we said at the time:
“Canberra Youth Theatre once again proves its commitment to bold, original storytelling. This is theatre made by and for young people who refuse to stay quiet about the world they inherit.”
Read the full review here.
Can I still see the show?
No, the season has ended.
And that concludes our long list of plays! Stay tuned for our next instalment after Christmas – Favourite Shows of 2025 Part Three: Best of The Fest.
Hero image photo credit: Fly Girl by Ensemble Theatre. Photo by Prudence Upton
