GRIFFIN THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS A GREEN DOOR THEATRE COMPANY PRODUCTION SISTREN
COSMIC. OUTSPOKEN. FAB.
★★★★
“A force of nature”
— Aisle Notes With Vaanie K
★★★★★
“Inimitable”
— Suzy Goes See
★★★★
“Refreshing”
— Musical Theatre AU
WINNER – Best Independent Production, Best Direction of an Independent Production (Ian Michael),
Best Newcomer (Iolanthe) – Sydney Theatre Awards 2025,
Critic’s Choice Award Best Play – Time Out 2025
Following a sell-out, critically acclaimed, award-winning run as part of Griffin Theatre Company’s 2025 Lookout season, one of Australia’s most exciting rising stars, the blazingly talented Iolanthe brings her cult-hit SISTREN to the Griffin mainstage from Thursday 9 th April to Sunday 3 rd May 2026 at Belvoir’s Downstairs Theatre.
Isla and Violet are a ‘lethal combination’. Their self-righteous headmaster thinks that’s an insult. They think it’s a cute name for a girl group.
Too-smart, too precocious and way too outspoken, it’s no surprise when these self-proclaimed soulmates are S E P A R A T E D until the end of the year. But the world outside their South London school is a divisive one for a cisgender Caribbean diva and her ‘Ethel Cain adjacent’ transgender bestie. As their cosmic connection is tested, one key question arises—will Isla and Violet be pulled apart, or will they reign supreme?
Directed by Ian Michael (Sydney Theatre Company’s Stolen, Picnic at Hanging Rock) and starring real life besties Iolanthe (Darlinghurst Theatre Company’s seven methods of killing kylie jenner, Belvoir 25A’s The Edit) and the extraordinary Janet Anderson (Belvoir St Theatre’s Orlando, Darlinghurst Theatre Company’s Overflow), SISTREN is like chugging five cans of Red Bull (sugar free, duh!) then doomscrolling YouTube. It’s bringing fabulous to the theatre for a new generation of entertainment-lovers.
Griffin’s Artistic Director Declan Greene said, “SISTREN shows the future of theatre is in very safe, very smart hands: it’s bold, fearless and gloriously playing by its own rules. We first encountered it through our Griffin Lookout program and it was immediately clear this was a show that deserved a bigger platform. Iolanthe and this brilliant team are part of an exciting wave of rising Sydney talent and after last year’s sell-out season, I’m thrilled audiences across Sydney will finally see the electric work they’ve made.”
Iolanthe added, “We call it the ‘SISTREN Universe’ because it’s a state of being, a collective consciousness. It stands directly in opposition to etiquette and archaic rules that restrict behaviour. The ‘Universe’ exists in the grey area of overlapping intersections and identities, and yet it is everything but grey. It is pink and fluffy and has Lady Gaga soundbites and smells a bit like stolen perfume and shots of fireball. The show’s conceit is this: to love others beyond the bounds of biological relation, gender identity, race or class is indicative of a deep self-love, love for
community and liberation.”
SISTREN is a Green Door Theatre Company production. Green Door Theatre Company is a Sydney based, independent company, specialising in provocative new work that places artists and social impact at the centre of the producing process. The company believes in the power of theatre to shift perception and behaviour. Their productions and initiatives have gone on to national acclaim, including seven methods of killing kylie jenner (Darlinghurst Theatre Company premiere and national tour), Overflow and the Trans Theatre Festival.
Chaotic, sprawling, yet laser-focused, audiences won’t want to miss this smash-hit that sold out before it even opened.
DIRECTOR Ian Michael PRODUCTION DESIGNER Emma White LIGHTING DESIGNER Kelsey Lee COMPOSER & SOUND DESIGNER Daniel Herten VIDEO DESIGNER TK Abioye DRAMATURG Dylan Van Den Berg COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STRATEGISTS Janet Anderson, Iolanthe WITH Janet Anderson, Iolanthe A Green Door Theatre Company production
DATES: 9 April – 3 May 2026
PREVIEWS: 9 – 10 April 2026
OPENING NIGHT: 11 April 2026
PERFORMANCE TIMES: Tuesday – Friday 7pm, Saturday 1pm & 7pm, Sunday 5:30pm
LOCATION: Downstairs Theatre, Belvoir
BOOKINGS: https://griffintheatre.com.au/whats-on/sistren-2/ or (02) 9361 3817
TICKETS: Starting from $38
MEET THE ARTISTS: Tuesday 14 April
THEATRE CLUB: Thursday 16 April
CAPTIONED PERFORMANCE: Wednesday 22 April
SISTREN was supported by Australian Plays Transform through the Untold Stories Program and the premiere season was a part of Griffin Lookout 2025, supported by Shane & Cathryn Brennan. This presentation is supported by the Girgensohn Foundation.
