“A Uniquely Australian Kind Of Hell”: ‘Wake In Fright’ Returns To Sydney After Seven Years

Griffin Theatre Company’s highly anticipated Wake in Fright is coming to Carriageworks from 2 – 19 December, returning to Sydney seven years after its iconic debut.

What to expect at Wake in Fright

The production is a critically acclaimed adaptation of an Australian classic, Kenneth Cook’s cult 1961 novel and later iconic horror film Wake in Fright. Both shocking and intriguing, Griffin’s Artistic Director Declan Greene leads audiences into an unflinching exploration of toxic masculinity, peer pressure, and the “dark, claustrophobic underbelly of Australian outback culture” throughout the production.

Performer Zahra Newman, starring in Sydney Theatre Company’s Dracula and Belvoir St Theatre’s Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill, powerhouses an electrifying and thrilling solo performance. The production is soundtracked with a bone rattling score by friendships.

The story follows John Grant, an affluent schoolteacher enroute to Sydney, who has his journey upheaved when he is stranded in the mining town of Bundanyabba. What was meant to be a layover turns into a three-week freefall. Suddenly reliant on the locals for survival, John Grant finds himself stripped of money, identity and sanity as each beer is poured and each night wears on.

Seven years on and “dangerously relevant”

Seven years on from its debut at the Sydney Opera House, this has been a long-awaited reunion of excellence between Zahra Newman and Declan Green.

Newman tells City Hub she is excited to step back into the world of Wake in Fright after several years.

“Some resonances have deepened, others have taken on new meaning, but the difficult questions remain; and ultimately, I feel privileged to have the opportunity to unpack and hopefully expand this classic piece of Australian literature.”

“It has so much to say about Australia, about Australian-ness, that age-old question of who belongs, who doesn’t, and what we’re prepared to destroy in order to enforce this. And that feels dangerously relevant,” Greene told City Hub.

Griffin Theatre Company season closes with a bang

Wake in Fright will be the last showing of Griffin Theatre Company’s season, closing it with a bang.

Audiences can expect a gripping encounter as the production reveals a hyper-theatrical and unforgettable retelling of one of Australia’s most haunting works.

The production runs across 2 to 19 December 2026 at Carriageworks. Tickets start at $48 and can be booked here.

It will also return to Melbourne for the first time since its 2019 premiere, at the University of Melbourne Arts and Culture from 25 – 27 November 2026.