Presented by: Therry Theatre
Reviewed: 9 April 2026
Therry Theatre’s latest production is a new showing of Jonathan Biggins’ 2012 play Australia Day, which follows the months of planning in the lead up to the national holiday and into the stresses of the day itself.
We open on a scout hall as the 2016 volunteer Australia Day organising committee arrives one by one, presenting archetypes with no subtlety. There’s the Mayor Brian Harrigan (Stephen Bills), loyal Deputy Mayor Robert Wilson (Adam Schulz), the forever local and accepted ‘larrikin’ Wally Stewart (Steve Kidd), the ‘of-a-different-time’ CWA President Maree Bucknell (Kristina Kidd), the new local and Greens Councillor Helen McInnes (Michele Kelsey), and an Australian-Vietnamese grade 6 teacher Chester Lee (Ollie Xu) who has compulsorily assumed the school liaison position.
Drama on what, if anything, should be updated or changed for the annual Australia day event present as the main feature throughout the first act and later overshadowed by political power plays in the second. The long-time locals argue for the same as last year, while a newer resident was hoping for some changes. The first act plays out over several months, each meeting the characters getting more willing to state their positions firmly while taking digs at the other.
The second act is set solely on Australia Day and the chaos behind the scenes of actually running an event on the day. In the background a storm is lingering, adding to the sense of urgency and looming disaster.
This is a tricky one to review. There was of course quality in the performance and the staging of the production. The team from Therry Theatre paid great attention to detail, the scout hall set from set designer Gary Anderson, in particular, resembled a country one that had been maintained but not modified since the 1970s. The performers’ management of their characters’ specific voice and tones was another standout in the overall play. As was the lighting and sound production by Ian Barge, especially while teasing the incoming storm in the second act.
However, the source material would have benefited from significant updates. For the most part, the commentary aspect of the satire was absent. The play was modified to be a fictional South Australian regional town and the punchlines of certain jokes updated accordingly, which did get laughs.
Outside of that, the characters start at heightened point, which provided for minimal connection points before the script adds to the characters’ excesses. The baseline of the writing and humour felt inauthentic and at times fluctuated between hollow and mean-spirited.
There were some good one liners and quips in the writing, however, these appeared to work predominantly due to the skill of the performers and how they navigated the expressive and physical parts of their performances.
Therry Theatre’s Australia Day runs over two weeks, including Saturday matinee sessions. The play is an intriguing concept that is well performed by the crew with space for updating more of the satire for relevance and commentary.
Reviewed by: Alex Dunkin
Photo credit: Andrew Trimmings
Venue: ARTS Theatre, 53 Angas Street, Adelaide, Kaurna Country
Season: 8 – 18 April 2026
Duration: 2hrs 10mins including 15min interval
Tickets: $25 – $40 (plus booking fee)
Bookings: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1506953
Adam Schulz, ARTS Theatre, Gary Anderson, Ian Barge, Jonathan Biggins, Kristina Kidd, Michele Kelsey, Ollie Xu, Stephen Bills, Steve Kidd, Therry Theatre
