Adapted from the Novel by Kenneth Cook, By Declan Greene & Zahra Newman
17 June - 5 July 2026
Upstairs Theatre, Belvoir
★★★★½ “Miraculous”—The Sydney Morning Herald
★★★★½ “Brilliant, bold and deeply unnerving theatre”—The Age
★★★★½ “Powerful”—ArtsHub
★★★★ “Remarkable”—Time Out
★★★★ “Striking”—Limelight Magazine
Welcome to Bundayabba—the best little town in the world!
You’ll never want to leave. And even if you did… You can’t.
Well-heeled schoolteacher John Grant is en route to Sydney, when a layover in the mining town of Bundanyabba turns into a three-week freefall. Stranded and starving, Grant is forced to rely on the locals for survival. But as the beer flows and the nights wear on, he finds himself stripped of money, identity and sanity.
In a ferocious solo performance, Zahra Newman delves into the twisted heart of Wake in Fright—Kenneth Cook’s cult Australian novel and, later, an iconic horror film. Directed by Declan Greene (Naturism, The Lewis Trilogy) with thrilling, bone-rattling score from friendships, this bold adaptation is a descent into a uniquely Australian kind of hell: full of booze, bravado and buried violence.
Buy a beer, drink up and make sure you wear your earplugs.
Director & Co-Creator Declan Greene
Performer & Co-Creator Zahra Newman
Lighting & Projection Designer Verity Hampson
Sound Designer James Paul
Composer & Multimedia Designer friendships
Wake in Fright was first produced and presented by Malthouse Theatre in 2019.
Wake in Fright was commissioned and developed by Malthouse Theatre.

Venue
Upstairs Theatre, Belvoir
Previews 17 – 18 June
Opening Night 19 June
Season 20 June – 5 July
Performance Times
Tuesday – Wednesday 6.30pm*
Thursday – Friday 7.30pm
Saturday 2pm & 7.30pm
Sunday 5pm**
*Except Wednesday 17 June
**Except Sunday 5 July
Meet The Artists Tuesday 23 June
Theatre Club Thursday 25 June
Captioned Performance Tuesday 30 June
Full from $68
Senior from $64
Concession from $59
Under 35 from $40
@griffintheatre