2023 Year in Revue
20 Dec
ORIGIN THEATRICAL
- 2023 Year in Revue
As the end of the year approaches, the team at ORiGiN™ Theatrical HQ are reflecting on all the wonderful new shows and theatrical highlights over the past 12 months.
We have selected a few of our favourite things from the past year to share with you as we prepare to have a break over Christmas and re-charge our batteries for the bright new year of 2024!
Office & Warehouse Holiday Hours
Closing on Friday 22 December 2023
Musical Theatre New Zealand Annual Conference
This March found us visiting our friends in New Zealand for the MTNZ conference for the first time since 2019. While of course doing the very hard work of enjoying delicious local seafood and wine, we announced the amateur release of Andrew Lloyd Webber's brooding and romantic sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, LOVE NEVER DIES. Also announced was the New Zealand amateur release of the uplifting hilarious Broadway musical, THE PROM, with productions in Christchurch and Wellington already underway for their opening nights next year. This is definitely a show you don't want to miss!
New Office & Warehouse
Amateur Rights Announcements
We were happy to release some of our most hotly anticipated titles throughout 2023. After working through wait lists as longs as our arms, productions of SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE have already been staged throughout the year by amateur groups and schools alike, and 2024 will bring new productions of THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME and DIARY OF A WIMPY KID to Australia. We were also thrilled to announce the rights release of English-playwright JEZ BUTTERWORTH for our Australian amateurs, and the new series of NICK HERN BOOKS MULTIPLAY DRAMAS continues to offer more exciting titles to high schools and student performers.
Professional Productions
If you'd rather kick your feet up and watch someone else shake and shimmy on stage (or need some lovely last-minute tickets for your Christmas gifts), we have a number of brilliant professional seasons happening across Australia and New Zealand next year.
January kicks us off with some modern Irish folklore, with Ensemble Theatre's production of ALONE IT STANDS bringing the David vs. Goliath story of the all-amateur Munster rugby team tackling the might of the All Blacks to Sydney.
Hayes Theatre Company will feature a number of familiar musicals across their 2024 season in Sydney, with THE HELLO GIRLS opening 10 January 2024 and TELL ME ON A SUNDAY 12 April 2024. We are also very excited for the Australian premiere of cult-favourite (and ORiGiN HQ-favourite) musical, RIDE THE CYCLONE, and you'll get to enjoy a White Christmas when HOLIDAY INN closes out the 2024 season. Neglected Musicals returns at the Hayes Theatre next year, with productions of PROMISES, PROMISES and THEY'RE PLAYING OUR SONG.
In Melbourne, Salty Theatre will be staging the Australian Premiere of THE GRINNING MAN, a new musical that is equal parts gothic fairytale and swashbuckling adventure. For our friends in Canberra, you won't want to miss Lexi Sekuless Productions' THE SHOE-HORN SONATA, written by local Australian playwright John Misto. And Brisbane audiences won't be able to take their eyes off of Prospero Arts' production of JERSEY BOYS in February.
In New Zealand, Wellington audiences are in for a treat, with WITCH Music Theatre bringing productions of the electro-pop opera NATASHA, PIERRE AND THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 and the sexy reimaging of the Lizzie Borden story in LIZZIE to local audiences.
For any of our friends even further overseas, productions of John Misto's LIP SERVICE will be popping up across Europe throughout the year, and the play will also be making its American premiere when it's staged by Theatre33 in Washington from 9 February 2024.
Warm Wishes for the holiday season from all of us at ORiGiN™ Theatrical and the ORiGiN™ Group
As the end of the year approaches, the team at ORiGiN™ Theatrical HQ are reflecting on all the wonderful new shows and theatrical highlights over the past 12 months.
We have selected a few of our favourite things from the past year to share with you as we prepare to have a break over Christmas and re-charge our batteries for the bright new year of 2024!
Office & Warehouse Holiday Hours
Closing on Friday 22 December 2023
Re-opening on Monday 8 January 2024
This March found us visiting our friends in New Zealand for the MTNZ conference for the first time since 2019. While of course doing the very hard work of enjoying delicious local seafood and wine, we announced the amateur release of Andrew Lloyd Webber's brooding and romantic sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, LOVE NEVER DIES. Also announced was the New Zealand amateur release of the uplifting hilarious Broadway musical, THE PROM, with productions in Christchurch and Wellington already underway for their opening nights next year. This is definitely a show you don't want to miss!
New Office & Warehouse
Notably, in September we packed up our old Clarence Street office, and made the move across the Pyrmont Bridge to our new office and warehouse in Pyrmont. This move represents an enormous step forwards as ORiGiN continues to grow, with new plays, new musicals, and our expanding music hire library all finding a home in our increased warehouse capacity. (You'll also be pleased to hear that as of writing this email, all boxes have finally been unpacked).
New office and warehouse address: Ground Floor, 47-49 Murray Street Pyrmont, NSW 2009 Australia
Amateur Rights Announcements
We were happy to release some of our most hotly anticipated titles throughout 2023. After working through wait lists as longs as our arms, productions of SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE have already been staged throughout the year by amateur groups and schools alike, and 2024 will bring new productions of THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME and DIARY OF A WIMPY KID to Australia. We were also thrilled to announce the rights release of English-playwright JEZ BUTTERWORTH for our Australian amateurs, and the new series of NICK HERN BOOKS MULTIPLAY DRAMAS continues to offer more exciting titles to high schools and student performers.
Professional Productions
If you'd rather kick your feet up and watch someone else shake and shimmy on stage (or need some lovely last-minute tickets for your Christmas gifts), we have a number of brilliant professional seasons happening across Australia and New Zealand next year.
January kicks us off with some modern Irish folklore, with Ensemble Theatre's production of ALONE IT STANDS bringing the David vs. Goliath story of the all-amateur Munster rugby team tackling the might of the All Blacks to Sydney.
Hayes Theatre Company will feature a number of familiar musicals across their 2024 season in Sydney, with THE HELLO GIRLS opening 10 January 2024 and TELL ME ON A SUNDAY 12 April 2024. We are also very excited for the Australian premiere of cult-favourite (and ORiGiN HQ-favourite) musical, RIDE THE CYCLONE, and you'll get to enjoy a White Christmas when HOLIDAY INN closes out the 2024 season. Neglected Musicals returns at the Hayes Theatre next year, with productions of PROMISES, PROMISES and THEY'RE PLAYING OUR SONG.
In Melbourne, Salty Theatre will be staging the Australian Premiere of THE GRINNING MAN, a new musical that is equal parts gothic fairytale and swashbuckling adventure. For our friends in Canberra, you won't want to miss Lexi Sekuless Productions' THE SHOE-HORN SONATA, written by local Australian playwright John Misto. And Brisbane audiences won't be able to take their eyes off of Prospero Arts' production of JERSEY BOYS in February.
In New Zealand, Wellington audiences are in for a treat, with WITCH Music Theatre bringing productions of the electro-pop opera NATASHA, PIERRE AND THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 and the sexy reimaging of the Lizzie Borden story in LIZZIE to local audiences.
For any of our friends even further overseas, productions of John Misto's LIP SERVICE will be popping up across Europe throughout the year, and the play will also be making its American premiere when it's staged by Theatre33 in Washington from 9 February 2024.
Warm Wishes for the holiday season from all of us at ORiGiN™ Theatrical and the ORiGiN™ Group
Finally, we would like to extend our earnest thanks to all our clients for making 2023 such an exciting and dramatic year! Amidst all of the chaos, you have had nothing but understanding and patience while making theatre happen. We wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas, and a safe and happy New Years. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for our newsletters throughout 2024, with some very exciting announcements to come!