Eye-opening. Injustice. Sliding doors.
This wasn’t how it was meant to go.
A few iPhones, a huge TV and a Socceroos jersey—shove them all in the IKEA bag then drive away as fast as you can.
AJ wasn’t meant to be spotted at the scene. AJ wasn’t meant to get ID’d in the line up. AJ definitely wasn’t meant to go to prison. But once AJ is convicted of theft, he is placed behind the walls of an institution where his own body is stolen from him.
In a cramped communal cell, AJ will become a ‘jailbaby’—the ward of a justice system that chooses to turn a blind eye to the life-altering sexual violence committed against young men behind bars.
After an acclaimed performance in 2021’s Dogged, Anthony Yangoyan reunites with director Andrea James for this crucial interrogation of Australia’s legal system by multi-award-winning playwriting powerhouse Suzie Miller. A spiritual sequel to her international phenomenon Prima Facie, Miller once again opens our eyes to the darkest corners of society and asks us to pinpoint the exact moment when it all goes so, so wrong.
★★★★★ ‘An urgent and compelling work… Run, don’t walk.’—Time Out Sydney (for Suzie Miller and Prima Facie)
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Director Andrea James
Dramaturg Declan Greene
Set & Costume Designer Isabel Hudson
Design Assistant Hailley Hunt
Lighting Designer Verity Hampson
Lighting Associate Sammy Read
Composer & Sound Designer Phil Downing
Stage Manager Madelaine Osborn
Production Manager Tyler Fitzpatrick
Intimacy and Consent Consultant Bayley Turner
Fight Coach Tim Dashwood
With Lucia Mastrantone, Anthony Taufa, Anthony Yangoyan
Previews 7 – 11 July
Opening Nights 12 & 13 July
Season 14 July – 19 August
Performance Times
Monday – Friday 7pm
Saturday 1pm & 7pm
Meet The Artists
Tuesday 18 July
Captioned Performance
Tuesday 25 July
Run Time
90 minutes (no interval)
Latecomers
Please note, there is a complete lock-out on all performances and latecomers won’t be admitted, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get to us, grab a drink, and get settled.
2023 Main Season Tickets Pricing
2023 Season Subscription Pricing
| 4 Play | 3 Play | 2 Play | |||
| Full | $216 | Full | $168 | Full | $116 |
| Senior, Preview |
$176 | Senior, Preview | $138 | Senior, Preview | $98 |
| Concession | $156 | Concession | $123 | Concession | $86 |
| Under 35 | $140 | Under 35 | $108 | Under 35 | $74 |
| Griffin Lookout | |
| Single | $35 |
| Two Pack | $64 |
Production Images
By Clare Hawley
Meet Suzie Miller
Mood Trailer
Show Trailer
“Jailbaby is truth-telling of a national shame (the “justice” system and the toxicity of male power/violence) couched in the most personable and humane terms. Recommended without reservation.” ★★★★½—Diana Simmonds, Stage Noise
“By committing to its reality, the play empowers itself—its political power—and loses none of its tension.” ★★★★—Richie Black, ArtsHub
“This is Miller’s writing at its most potent…”★★★½—John Shand, The Sydney Morning Herald
“There are powerful, impassioned ideas at the heart of the play. It offers a heart-first illumination of the failings of the prison system on victims and those who commit crimes.”—Cassie Tongue, Guardian Australia
“Jailbaby is a dense and complex exploration of a society and its legal system that ultimately sets everyone up for failure. It’s a play that demands to be seen.”—John Moyle, CityHub
“The quality of collaboration in the trio is gratifying to observe, in a production that boasts accomplished work from all disciplines.”—Suzy Wrong, Suzy Goes See
“Miller’s knack for building tension is undeniable…”—Charlotte Smee, Time Out Sydney
“We are left with a gut-wrenching sense that, for kids like AJ, the justice system has nothing to do with justice.”—Camilla Nelson, The Conversation
This production of Jailbaby contains detailed spoken descriptions of rape. The play also contains descriptions of drug use, suicidal ideation, violence, weapons and homophobic slurs. The production contains loud and dynamic sounds and flashing lights.
Please contact us on [email protected] or (02) 9332 1052 if you require further detail, additional specific content specifications or have any questions.
For more detailed information on the performance content, please read our Jailbaby Access Document. Word | PDF
Jailbaby was developed and produced with the assistance of the Australian Writers’ Guild David Williamson Prize.
Jailbaby is supported by Griffin’s Production Partner program.
This project was supported through a residency at Theatre and Performance Studies, the University of Sydney.
A light shone on our darkest injustices.
- Prima Facie by Suzie Miller
- The Bleeding Tree by Angus Cerini
- City of Gold by Meyne Wyatt
@griffintheatre