Director’s Note: Rachel Chant, THE MEMORY OF WATER

16 Oct 2023

It isn’t uncommon for a rehearsal room to feel like a family. As we all know, however, family can mean multitudes – our individual experience of family shapes what this idea means to us. In the case of this team, since day one of rehearsals, we’ve been lucky enough to say that family means safety, […]

Synopsis: MIDNIGHT MURDER AT HAMLINGTON HALL

13 Oct 2023

It is the opening night of director-writer Shane Tweed’s new murder mystery, MIDNIGHT MURDER AT HAMLINGTON HALL. Seven of the amateur theatre company’s cast are down with the dreaded lurgy. So the Middling Cove Players’ director and two of the remaining actors, and whoever else Shane can co-opt, pitch in to continue the long tradition […]

Writer’s Note: Shelagh Stephenson, THE MEMORY OF WATER

9 Oct 2023

THE MEMORY OF WATER was the first stage play I ever wrote. It was written on spec and subsequently opened at Hampstead Theatre in London. It was successful in a way that absolutely no-one, least of all me, expected. Until then, I’d been writing for BBC Radio Drama, where I thought I could hone my […]

Program: SUMMER OF HAROLD

5 Sep 2023

Discover more about SUMMER OF HAROLD with our digital program. It’s packed full of info about the show including writer’s and director’s notes, cast and creative bios, plus photos and more! DOWNLOAD YOUR PROGRAM On our stage 18 Sep – 14 Oct, don’t miss Hilary Bell’s brand new hilarious theatrical experience about adventure, obsession and […]

Director’s Note: Francesca Savige, SUMMER OF HAROLD

4 Sep 2023

Before our workshop of this play my mother visited. Noticing her 1980s lemon juicer on my kitchen bench, she inquired if I would care to update it. I said “No, I love this one!” Despite the hideousness of this plastic relic, I realised that it held years of memories of growing up cooking with my […]

Writer’s Note: Hilary Bell, SUMMER OF HAROLD

22 Aug 2023

SUMMER OF HAROLD began as a short play, ‘Window, Cricket Bat’ – a co-commission from Griffin Theatre and the Australian Design Centre for Sydney Festival 2022. Performed in the ADC’s gallery space as part of their exhibition Happy Objects, it was inspired by the true adventures of Margaret Woodward, one of the contributing artists, who […]

Video: Watch our 2024 Season Launch

14 Aug 2023

Fresh out the box, Ensemble’s 2024 Season is here! Watch our Artistic Director Mark Kilmurry lift the lid on a year of inspiring stories. Ensemble stacks up ten exceptional plays and one very special event to ensure 2024 is bursting at the seams with fresh new comedy, insightful dramas and re-imagined classics, not to mention […]

Synopsis: SUMMER OF HAROLD

10 Aug 2023

In award-winning playwright Hilary Bell’s SUMMER OF HAROLD, the transformative power of everyday objects threads through three cracking comedic plays about adventure, obsession and hope. Memories of 1984. London. Phil Collins on MTV. Cassette tapes. Janet and her backpacking mate Alison take a summer job as inexperienced housekeepers with the 20th century’s foremost British playwright,  Harold […]

Request a 2024 brochure

31 Jul 2023

The launch of our 2024 season is just around the corner and we can’t wait to lift the lid on this spectacular year of theatre! Want to leaf through a copy of the new brochure delivered direct to your mailbox? You’ll need an Ensemble Theatre online login to make your request, which can be set […]

Program: MR BAILEY’S MINDER

Program: MR BAILEY’S MINDER

26 Jul 2023

Discover more about MR BAILEY’S MINDER with our digital program. It’s packed full of info about the show including writer’s and director’s notes, cast and creative bios, plus photos and more! DOWNLOAD YOUR PROGRAM Bristling with sharp humour and beautiful complexities, don’t miss MR BAILEY’S MINDER. BOOK NOW

Writer’s Note: Debra Oswald, MR BAILEY’S MINDER

17 Jul 2023

Revivals of Australian plays don’t happen very often, so I’m thrilled MR BAILEY’S MINDER is in the Ensemble season. In the twenty years since it was written, I suspect some questions in the play have become even spikier: given that many great writers, artists and musicians have displayed ugly behaviour and damaged their loved ones, […]

John Gaden returns to Ensemble Theatre

14 Jul 2023

We are thrilled to have legendary actor John Gaden AO returning to Ensemble Theatre as Leo Bailey in Debra Oswald’s MR BAILEY’S MINDER! Last seen on our stage in DIPLOMACY in 2018 (and then again in 2019 for a special encore season due to popular demand), we can’t wait to see John back on our […]

Director’s Note: Damien Ryan, MR BAILEY’S MINDER

11 Jul 2023

Desperate people, clinging to a cliff face, trying to make a family work – a family not just made of blood, but of necessity and random chance – a daughter, a carer, a local builder, and a visionary artist – and the ghosts of the wounded that surround and haunt them. This story by the […]

Meet our Head Chef Aurélien Girault

3 Jul 2023

Head Chef Aurélien Girault has been making waves in our lovely harbourside restaurant Bayly’s Bistro since late 2022, so we thought it was about time we got into some proper introductions! Aurélien grew up on a farm in North-East France with a family-run restaurant offering unique dining experiences with a focus on local ingredients and […]

Synopsis: MR BAILEY’S MINDER

29 Jun 2023

John Gaden returns to the Ensemble stage. In 2018 he was alongside John Bell in the Ensemble production of DIPLOMACY, in 2023 John plays Leo Bailey, a national treasure and one of Australia’s greatest artists in MR. BAILEY’S MINDER. Leo has been ravaged by years of alcohol abuse, self-loathing and indulgent misbehaviour, and now needs […]

Program: BENEFACTORS

8 Jun 2023

Discover more about BENEFACTORS with our digital program. It’s packed full of info about the show including a note from Artistic Director Mark Kilmurry, cast and creative bios, plus photos and more! DOWNLOAD YOUR PROGRAM Playing 16 Jun – 22 Jul, secure your seats for this compelling West End hit today! BOOK NOW