A Note from Erica, 5 February
05.02.26
Howdy Grif-friend,
As one of the company’s resident and self-proclaimed pop culture connoisseurs, it’s been a huge month. Heated Rivalry is my entire online feed (those boys can do no wrong, fight me), Chappell Roan has just given us the serve of the century at the Grammys and I caught Reneé Rapp’s Australian debut last week. Huge stuff, gentle reader. I’m tired already and it’s just the first week of February. Whilst we’ve been plugging away in the office with now Grammy winner Olivia Dean playing on our speakers (I also was at her debut Aussie gig—humble brag), we have been flush with activity here ourselves. Stick with my intro for more on that.
I’ve been thinking about what all those pop culture Femininomenons and Griffin have in common—and you may be thinking, “Erica, there’s nothing they have in common”. Well, that’s where you would be wrong! There’s a particular excitement around artists at the top of their game and when I look at what we’re doing at Griffin, I feel that same electricity. From boundary pushing television shows to genre-bending music, we’re seeing incredible storytellers innovate their respective artforms. Is that not what Griffin seeks to do on home soil?
Innovation 1: The Elocution of Benjamin Franklin by steve j. spears. Call it serendipity or meticulous planning, we’re staging an all-new production of this Australian classic on its 50th anniversary on the very stage where it was first performed. But this isn’t your mother’s Elocution. Director Declan Greene and solo performer Simon Burke have been building this marathon of a production, knowing that the political and social climate is very different to that of 1976. I won’t give away much more, but rest assured, it still packs a punch.
Innovation 2: SISTREN by Iolanthe. Everyone who saw this production as part of our 2025 Griffin Lookout season knows it was a game changer. If you didn’t, you’re in luck—general release tickets went on sale last week, so I highly recommend booking fast before it inevitably sells out again! As a third culture kid who grew up on the internet, this show spoke to something deep in my being.
Innovation 3: SAVIOR by Happy Feraren. Peeling back the bureaucratic curtain on humanitarian aid but make it Tinder? I’m sat. It truly takes the most ingenious of brains to pull that combination together and yet first-time playwright (and long-time improviser) Happy has done just that. Take Fisk and The Office and throw in a splash of The White Lotus and that’s SAVIOR. Tickets for SAVIOR are now also on sale, hallelujah, amen.
I could rattle on a list of innovations 4–7 but then I’d simply run out of space. I’ll let someone else tackle those later in the year. Check out our full 2026 Season if you’re champing at the bit for it—and why not grab a subscription package while you’re there?
In some good news, there’s a new Australian story on the horizon that we’re thrilled to share with you. Co-creator and performer of Wake in Fright, Zahra Newman, is expecting a baby! The less good news is that the June/July season of Wake in Fright is postponed as a result. To finish on a high the season is being postponed to December 2026 as part of Carriageworks’ Bay 20 season! All ticketholders have been contacted by Griffin with tickets automatically moved to the new season.
In a Griffin first, we will have a stall at this year’s Mardi Gras Fair Day! Come on by to say hi to your friendly neighbourhood Griff, hi-five Simon Burke, or even spin our prize wheel (I won’t spoil any more). We love meeting our Griff-friends so don’t be a stranger if you’re in Victoria Park next Sunday.
That’s all from me as we dive head-first into getting ready for The Elocution of Benjamin Franklin’s first preview performance on 21 February. In the meantime, I’ll be refreshing my Instagram feed and listening to the latest chaotic release from Katseye. Anyway, “I’m getting out of here.” See you at a Griffin show to talk about the next cultural reset!
Eat zucchini 🥒,
Erica
Erica Penollar
Marketing Manager
