Above : Prominent Sydney theatre practitioner Elaine Hudson
In Scene Theatre Sydney’s Worlds Alive 2026 play festival, Elaine Hudson, one of Sydney’s leading theatre practitioners, directs eight professional actors in five short contemporary world plays. These award-winning plays have never been seen in Australia. Carol Dance, the Artistic Director of Scene theatre Sydney, selected the plays for global thinkers, theatre lovers and curious Sydneysiders. All the plays are entertaining, progressive and relevant to our times. They are presented as dramatic readings, script-in-hand.
From South Africa: Kunene and the King by John Kani, OBE. The play premiered in 2019 at the Royal Shakespeare Company to great acclaim. In the story, an elderly English actor in South Africa is trying to remember the lines to King Lear. Kunene, his black carer, helps him and interprets Lear in a new way. They are an odd pair, and their comic spats finally lead to mutual respect. It is powerful entertaining theatre.
From Brazil: Miss Margarida’s Way by Roberto Athayde. This short comic monologue has been produced in more than thirty countries, including on Broadway.
From The Philippines: A Night at the Opera by Floy Quintos. This 2017 play portrays the power of the elite in The Philippines. A ‘wife vs husband’ tense tête-à-tête ends in humour that saves the relationship.
From Indonesia: The Struggle of the Naga Tribe by W. Rendra. The Naga villagers protect their copper-rich sacred mountain from the ogres (westerners) when a corporation bribes the tribe’s Queen. There are good people and bad people on both sides.
From Korea: The Sound of Rain Falling, by Sue Ja Joo. This short lyrical work captures how the smallest sounds — rain on a roof, silence between words — can stir longing, connection and unexpected insight. Poetic without being precious, the play presents a gentle respite from our complicated world.
The performers of WORLDS ALIVE 2026 are Seth Eren, Paul Williamson, Tiang Lim, Ruba el- Kaddoumi, Micah Doughty, Madison Chippendale, Christopher Brown and Alan Faulkner. The director is Elaine Hudson.
Artistic Director Carol Dance says: “All the world’s a stage” and we want to provide Sydney with great theatre from around the world. The good reviews of last year’s WORLDS ALIVE prompted us to bring another set of exciting world plays to Sydney audiences. Here are reviews of last year’s WORLDS ALIVE:
- The performances were well received by an enthusiastic audience. The plays were performed with commitment and vibrancy. Sydney Arts Guide
- Great acting and a good range of plays! Maggy Franklin, Theatre Time Sydney
- The actors were all fantastic. I loved the variety. I loved all the plays. WORLDS ALIVE wonderfully invited us to think globally and act locally through the power of storytelling. Brett Martin, VP, United Nations Association of Australia (NSW)
Details of playwrights, plays and actors: https://www.scenetheatresydney.net.au/worlds-alive-26
When: March 13 and 14, 2026, 7PM
Duration: 2 hours
Where: Walsh Bay Arts Precinct of Sydney (opposite the entrance to Sydney Dance Company on Pier 4)
Tickets: $35 and $25 for students
Bookings: https://events.humanitix.com/worlds-alive-2026 ($35 and $25 students)
