How AUSTRALIAN FEMALE PLAYWRIGHTS are showing international and national audiences the importance of new Australian work.

The likelihood an Australian playwright, let alone a female Australian playwright getting their work on in Australia, let alone internationally is far and few between. However, a new Australian play Dead Skin written by Laneikka Denne, a seventeen-year-old playwright makes its international debut at Zephyr Theatre in Los Angeles. First staged in Sydney by independent company White Box theatre, the female led ensemble play explores queer first love, adolescence and the strength of the maternal bond written for teenagers by a teenager.  

“I’ve only heard of one other Australian play that has made it to US stages in the last decade, let alone a new Australian work written by a teenage lesbian. It’s nonexistent. Australia’s Main Stage theatre companies won’t often take a chance on new work because it’s not guaranteed to sell well. I know theatre organisations that give new Australian works a paid development with no outcome of ever programming the work just to say they support new Australian work. I sold out Dead Skin to young people because it was for them, I can’t wait to do the same in LA” said Laneikka Denne, playwright of Dead Skin.

Embracing new Australian female voices has been made possible through the generous work of independent theatre companies nationally and internationally that give these works the chance to be shown. 

KXT Creative Director Suzanne Millar says: “We’ve seen an industry wide reluctance to take new writing to full production. It’s considered “high-risk”. But how else are we going to invest in the next generation of playwrights? Art should be dangerous, and theatre should be risky. At KXT we’ve been honoured to be able to support young writers like Laneikka ~ bold voices with something important to say. We’re so incredibly proud of the work they’re doing!  

Following in Suzanne’s tradition to break boundaries within her programming at KXT Cassie Hamilton, a young queer playwright has recently completed the premiere season of her new Australian queer farce Daddy Developed A Pill  also at KXT, and presented by young independent company Snatched Theatre Collective

“The piece takes so many risks creatively, which makes the piece exciting to watch, but terrifying to put money behind,” said Cassie. “As an emerging queer artist I feel I am constantly told by the industry what my work needs to be for it to be supported and produced by the bigger companies. It needs to have representation and diversity whilst still educating and celebrating marginalised communities and however other many buzzwords you want to throw in. It’s restricting what we can say, and telling us that having a queer voice alone does not make your good work worthy of programming. I’m hoping Daddy will evolve that conversation.”

Ally Morgan’s work Not Today also started at KXT and is now nationally touring. “Being able to remount Not Today gave us the opportunity to keep developing the work. The show we toured to Melbourne was not the same show we debuted in Sydney, it was bigger and better than ever. I think remounts give writers the important (and rare) chance to grow and improve. I feel very lucky to have been able to tour this show. ”

“It was a long road to touring, it took a lot of time and people doing lots of work for no money… but in the end, because of the sheer audacity of the team [ independent company Rogue Projects ] I had supporting me we were able to tour Not Today to Melbourne. With more dates on the horizon, we are so thankful that our little show is finally reaching audiences and making big waves.”

It is so refreshing to see new Australian work get a life beyond the page, to receive an Australian debut, to remount internationally. It is only through the fierce effort of a few, encouraging audiences to venture out to find new Australian work that new voices can be heard and discovered.

More information about these new Australian works can be found here:

DEAD SKIN by Laneikka Denne premiered at KXT in 2021, now playing at Zephyr Theatre in LA June https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/7292

Laneikka Denne is Associate Artist at KXT, playwright, and founder and facilitator of The Monologue Collective 

DADDY DEVELOPED A PILL by Cassie Hamilton premiered at Kings Cross Theatre June 2022 https://www.kingsxtheatre.com/daddy

Cassie Hamilton completed Daddy Developed A Pill as part of the 2021 Laboratory program at KXT, an artist platform supporting young playwrights in their first work

NOT TODAY by Ally Morgan premiered as part of the KXT Popupstairs program 2021 https://allymorgan.me/projects/nottoday

bAKEHOUSE THEATRE Co announces KXT is on the move

 After six years on level 2 of Kings Cross Hotel, KXT is on the move. In 2022 the award-winning bAKEHOUSE-run independent theatre will be moving to a bigger home. Creative Director of KXT and bAKEHOUSE Co-Artistic Director Suzanne Millar says: “we’ll continue to prioritise new writing and emerging artists; inclusive and representative companies and stories; and women led programs. But we’ve outgrown our little space in the Cross, and more room will allow us to extend our important Artist Support programs”  

In 2021 productions at KXT were nominated for 16 Sydney Theatre Awards in 9 categories across 5 productions, and led the way on the night winning seven awards for independent theatre across three productions. Key to the venue’s success is a broad program of Artist Support, with the team investing heavily in the next generation of arts leaders. This includes the new writing programs Storytellers Festival, The Laboratory and Write Up; the Step Up platform providing bespoke mentoring programs for some of the city’s most exciting emerging artists; showcase seasons Popupstairs, The Lab Report and the Step Up festival; and venue takeovers by JackRabbit Theatre and Panimo Creatives. Perhaps most telling is the number of young theatre makers who have continued on to sustainable careers having first worked at KXT. Says bAKEHOUSE co-producer Andrew McMartin: “we’re especially proud that our work with producers and our financial subsidies have meant that artists who work at KXT are being paid.”   

Key to the success has been the invaluable partnership with Solotel, and a close working relationship with KX Hotel management. Opened in a live music venue during the KX lockout laws, the two businesses have supported one another to increase trade and foot traffic in what for a long time was seen as a dying nightlife. More recently KX Hotel has worked closely with KXT to be sure that the theatre was able to continue to operate during the extraordinary challenges of the last two years: and after reopening in 2021 shows KXT averaged 94% audience attendance rates, with a number of sold-out seasons. At the same time, as the lockout laws were lifted, the live music scene burst back into life. Says Co-Artistic Director John Harrison “The first 6 months of 2021 were wild! There were packed dance floors on the rooftop, the late-night club level came back to life, and KXT was running wait lists for most seasons.” The trio agree that KXT shouldn’t work: an intimate theatre sandwiched between five levels of dance floors, night clubs and bars doesn’t make sense, but the hotel staff and theatre personnel have somehow made it happen.  

Says Suzanne: “We've been thinking about moving for some time. It's become increasingly clear that we need a bigger space to allow us to better deliver on all our artist support programs, and a new venue will mean that we can increase our investment in writer’s rooms and residencies, and open up space for rehearsal, reads and popup seasons.” Working with their partners at Solotel and Kings Cross Hotel, the best solution for both businesses is for KXT to make this exciting move in 2022. Andrew: “We’re working together to make this happen, and we’re appreciative of Solotel’s support and assistance” 

bAKEHOUSE aims to see independent theatre makers thrive. Suzanne: “We want to continue to provide a pipeline for career progression and a home for new work, and the only way we can do that is to grow.” The move will be timed to allow for the hotel’s recovery from the impact of changing NSW Health regulations, and to ensure that the KXT2022 season of work continues uninterrupted.  

Further details will be available shortly. In the meantime, the company is excited to be building a new home to inspire artists and work, and to continue to build on the wonderful legacy of KXT.

ANNOUNCING

SATURDAY AT 6.00

Through January and February, our Saturday evening performances will commence at 6pm sharp.

Our partners at Solotel have provided KXT with extraordinary support during the past two years. Without their help, we would not have made it through. They've done it tough during the past two years, with business hugely impacted by the pandemic. To help them bounce back, we're moving our Saturday night performances earlier to allow them to focus on big events that bring the Cross back to life!

Catch the 6pm show and then catch up with friends for drinks and burgers in the bar afterwards.

Coming in for the first show in the Panimo season? On Saturday 22 January the KX streets host the first of the City of Sydney’s Summer Streets program, so allow a little more time for parking

KXT tops the list with 16 nominations across 9 categories for 5 productions

2021 SYDNEY THEATRE AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED

Nominations were announced today for the Sydney Theatre Awards for 2021, which will be presented at an industry gala ceremony on Monday 31 January 2022 at 7pm at the York Theatre, Seymour Centre.

Nominations in the 28 categories were spread across 44 productions which played on Sydney stages during 2020 and 2021. Leading the list with seven nominations is Symphonie Fantastique, produced by Little Eggs Collective in association with KXT, followed by Fun Home (Sydney Theatre Company), Hamlet (Bell Shakespeare), Happy Days (Red Line Productions), The Picture of Dorian Gray (Sydney Theatre Company) and Yellow Face (Dinosaurus Productions in association with KXT), which each received six nominations. Receiving five nominations were Jali (Griffin Independent) and the musicals Hamilton (Jeffrey Seller, Sander Jacobs, Jill Furman, The Public Theater and Michael Cassel) and Merrily We Roll Along (Luckiest Productions and Hayes Theatre Co).

The nominees for Best Mainstage Production are Green Park (Griffin Theatre Company), Hamlet (Bell Shakespeare), The Picture of Dorian Gray (Sydney Theatre Company) and seven methods of killing kylie jenner (Darlinghurst Theatre Company and Green Door Theatre Company). Happy Days (Red Line Productions), Jali (Griffin Independent), Symphonie Fantastique (Little Eggs Collective in association with KXT) and Yellow Face (Dinosaurus Productions in association with KXT) are nominated for Best Independent Production.

The Sydney Theatre Awards have been presented annually since 2005 by a group of Sydney’s leading theatre critics. Following the devastation of the theatre industry over the past two years due to Covid-19, the critics felt it was important to recognise the extraordinary efforts of the industry over the past two years and to celebrate the strength and resilience of Sydney’s theatre artists. The critics panel which runs the Awards consists of Jason Blake (Audrey Journal), Harriet Cunningham (Sydney Morning Herald), Deborah Jones (The Australian), Jade Kops (BroadwayWorld), Jo Litson (Limelight), John McCallum (The Australian), John Shand (Sydney Morning Herald), Cassie Tongue (The Guardian/ Sydney Morning Herald) and Suzy Wrong (Suzy Goes See).

A number of changes have been made to the Awards this year. Separate male and female performance categories have been replaced by gender-neutral awards to make the Awards more inclusive. New judging panels which include prominent industry specialists have also been introduced for the Independent Theatre categories and for the awards in Children and Young People’s Theatre. The Independent Theatre panel comprised Jason Blake, Harriet Cunningham, Bernadette Fam, Imogen Gardam, Sarah Odillo Maher, Dom Mercer, Kenneth Moraleda and Catherine Swallow. The members of the panel for Children and Young People’s theatre were John McCallum, Amy Matthews, Joshua Maxwell, Danielle O’Keefe and Ian Phipps.

“Making theatre in the Covid era has been unimaginably difficult. Artists all over Sydney have, however, demonstrated extraordinary persistence and resilience, bouncing back time and again with productions that have exceeded all expectations,” said Suzy Wrong. “As part of the judging panel, I was frankly surprised and thrilled when we discovered that, even after endless show cancellations, the shortlist of amazing contenders is more than convincing, and we are overjoyed to be able to proceed with this year’s awards.

“I am proud that this year’s nominees continue to reflect the trend of growing diversity within our industry. In addition to the strong presence of people of colour in many categories, it is noteworthy that all nominations in Best Performance in a Leading Role in a Mainstage Production have gone to magnificent women actors living and working in Sydney.”

Jason Blake added, “Permanent change is the inevitable result of a disruption as great as the one we’ve experienced over the past two years. While much of that change will have been experienced as negative, just as much - and possibly more - will come to be seen as an evolution. Many of those upsides are demonstrated in the lists of nominees this year. Despite the number of productions lost or postponed, we’ve never seen a more diverse group of artists up for nomination, or a range of work as adventurous.”

The Sydney Theatre Awards gratefully thanks major sponsor, the Seaborn, Broughton & Walford Foundation, without which the Awards would not be possible. The Seaborn, Broughton & Walford Foundation is a charity founded to assist the performing arts and, following the wishes of founding President Dr Rodney Seaborn AO OBE, proudly supports a wide variety of performing arts initiatives through funding, attending performances and preserving precious theatrical records for education and research as well as providing accessible and affordable space for rehearsals and small performances.

The other sponsors of the Sydney Theatre Awards are William Fletcher Foundation, Showcast, Currency Press, Ticketmaster, Bellbird Cottages, Actors Benevolent Fund, ACMN, JPJ Audio and Helen Constance.

SYDNEY THEATRE AWARDS NOMINATIONS

BEST MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Green Park (Griffin Theatre Company)

Hamlet (Bell Shakespeare)

The Picture of Dorian Gray (Sydney Theatre Company)

seven methods of killing kylie jenner (Darlinghurst Theatre Company and Green Door Theatre Company)

BEST INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Happy Days (Red Line Productions)

Jali (Griffin Independent)

Symphonie Fantastique (Little Eggs Collective in association with KXT)

Yellow Face (Dinosaurus Productions in association with KXT)

BEST DIRECTION OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Peter Evans (Hamlet)

Anne-Louise Sarks (Stop Girl)

Shari Sebbens (seven methods of killing kylie jenner)

Kip Williams (The Picture of Dorian Gray)

BEST DIRECTION OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Shane Anthony (Ulster American)

Craig Baldwin (Happy Days)

Tasnim Hossain (Yellow Face)

Mathew Lee (Symphonie Fantastique)

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Vivienne Awosoga (seven methods of killing kylie jenner)

Harriet Gordon-Anderson (Hamlet)

Sheridan Harbridge (Stop Girl)

Moreblessing Maturure (seven methods of killing kylie jenner)

Eryn Jean Norvill (The Picture of Dorian Gray)

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A LEADING ROLE IN AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Belinda Giblin (Happy Days)

Gabrielle Scawthorn (The Apologists)

Eliza Scott (Pollon)

Shan-Ree Tan (Yellow Face)

Oliver Twist (Jali)

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Lucy Bell (Appropriate)

Heather Mitchell (Playing Beatie Bow)

Mansoor Noor (Stop Girl)

Aaron Tsindos (No Pay? No Way!)

Anthony Yangoyan (Dogged)

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Lloyd Allison-Young (The Removalists)

Jonathan Chan (Yellow Face)

Alfie Gledhill (The Removalists)

Lex Marinos (Happy Days)

Suz Mawer (Wil and Grace)

BEST STAGE DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Alicia Clements (Fun Home)

Elizabeth Gadsby (Appropriate)

Marg Horwell and David Bergman (The Picture of Dorian Gray)

Anna Tregloan (Hamlet)

BEST STAGE DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Veronique Benett (Exit the King)

Veronique Benett (Ulster American)

Benjamin Brockman (Symphonie Fantastique)

Charles Davis (Happy Days)

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Genevieve Blanchett (Home, I’m Darling)

Renée Mulder (Dogged)

Renée Mulder (Playing Beatie Bow)

Anna Tregloan (Hamlet)

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Kate Beere (Significant Other)

Aleisa Jelbart (Exit the King)

Aleisa Jelbart (Symphonie Fantastique)

Esther Zhong (Three Fat Virgins Unassembled)

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Karen Norris (Sunshine Super Girl)

Nick Schlieper (The Picture of Dorian Gray)

Matt Scott (Fun Home)

Trent Suidgeest (Appropriate)

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Veronique Benett (Happy Days)

Benjamin Brockman (Symphonie Fantastique)

Kelsey Lee (Jali)

Morgan Moroney (Significant Other)

BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

David Bergman (Green Park)

David Bergman (Playing Beatie Bow)

Max Lyandvert (Hamlet)

Clemence Williams (The Picture of Dorian Gray)

BEST SOUND DESIGN AND COMPOSITION OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Chrysoulla Markoulli (Hot Mess)

Oliver Shermacher (Symphonie Fantastique)

Julian Starr (Hyperdream)

Prema Yin (Yellow Face)

BEST NEW AUSTRALIAN WORK

Dogged (Andrea James and Catherine Ryan)

Jali (Oliver Twist)

Stop Girl (Sally Sara)

The Visitors (Jane Harrison)

BEST NEWCOMER

Kiana Daniele (SIX)

Grace Miell (Jagged Little Pill)

Oliver Twist (Jali)

Tiarne Sue Yek (Merrily We Roll Along)

BEST ENSEMBLE

Come From Away

SIX

Symphonie Fantastique

Yellow Face

BEST PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL

Come From Away (Junkyard Dog Productions and Rodney Rigby)

Fun Home (Sydney Theatre Company and Melbourne Theatre Company)

Hamilton (Jeffrey Seller, Sander Jacobs, Jill Furman, The Public Theater and Michael Cassel)

Merrily We Roll Along (Luckiest Productions and Hayes Theatre Co)

BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL

To be announced at the ceremony

JUDITH JOHNSON AWARD FOR BEST PERFORMANCE IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL

Jason Arrow (Hamilton)

Zoe Gertz (Come From Away)

Lucy Maunder (Fun Home)

Elise McCann (Merrily We Roll Along)

Lyndon Watts (Hamilton)

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL

Marty Alix (Hamilton)

Akina Edmonds (Hamilton)

Georgina Hopson (Merrily We Roll Along)

Maggie McKenna (Fun Home)

Maggie McKenna (Jagged Little Pill)

BEST MUSICAL DIRECTION

Carmel Dean (Fun Home)

Andrew Worboys (Merrily We Roll Along)

Andrew Worboys (Young Frankenstein)

BEST CABARET PRODUCTION

Jacqui Dark Sings Brel (Jacqui Dark)

Stay a While with Weill (Gaye MacFarlane)

Is This All Then? (Philip Quast)

BEST PRODUCTION FOR CHILDREN

The 91-Storey Treehouse (CDP Kids)

Charlie and the War Against the Grannies (Sydney Opera House)

Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge (Sydney Opera House and Australian Chamber Orchestra)

Zombie Thoughts (Riverside’s National Theatre of Parramatta)

BEST PRODUCTION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

Cusp (ATYP)

Follow Me Home (ATYP)

I’ve Been Meaning to Ask You (ATYP, The Good Room and Riverside Theatres)

Playing Beatie Bow (Sydney Theatre Company)

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

To be announced at the Ceremony

KXT2022 LAUNCH PARTY

during the last year, theatres faced 106 days of lockdown, during which KXT lost 84 performances, 8 seasons, 4 popup shows, and we were unable to work with 32 actors and 42 creatives attached to those projects. There were significant interruptions to the Step Up program and the writers Laboratory. When the doors were closed, there were 5 shows in rehearsal for their upcoming seasons at KXT.

When theatres were able to once again reopen, KXT committed to building on the work done following 2020’s lockdown, by providing as many opportunities as possible for indie artists, jumping into 5 frantic weeks supporting 21 writers, 3 dramaturgs, 6 directors, 2 designers, 5 companies and 6 producers.

On 27 November we held our first opening night, 5 and a half months after our last one on 12 June. Our program from reopening means that in the final months of the year we will have supported 4 popup seasons featuring the work of 35 very brave artists

Which means that despite heartbreaking interruptions, KXT2021 has featured 12 seasons; 4 popup shows; 4 play reads; 3 art exhibitions; a storylines season and 11 women-led productions.

the beginning of 2021 saw unprecedented business for KXT. Following a few weeks of restricted capacity, largely borne by our long suffering partners at Montague Basement, ticket sales averaged 94% capacity , with 3 of the 8 seasons playing to full houses. If you bought a ticket to a show at KXT this year - or to many shows – thank you.

We’re particularly proud of our ongoing artist support programs: The Laboratory in partnership with Montague Basement, guiding writers to build their first play; the Storyteller festival that showcases new work; the playread program for KXTeethcutting led by Legit theatre providing opportunities for emerging artists to take on big gnarly plays; the Step Up program offering a bespoke program of mentoring to a team of some of our most exciting emerging artists, and showcasing new work; the Popupstairs program offering space for artists to take big risks in a safe space; the newly launched Associate Artists program investing in future arts leaders; our rotating exhibition of artwork from young artists; along with community engagement, and partnerships with both companies and audiences.

The independent sector is the lifeblood of the nations theatre, and has provided opportunities, pathways and experience to some of our leading theatre makers. At KXT you’re seeing those future leaders at the beginning of their careers. Those who have worked here continue to progress their careers despite the past 2 years of significant interruptions., going onto paid positions at NIDA, Darlinghurst theatre Co, Belvoir, NToP, Griffin and STC; our Step Up artists have moved onto full time study at WAAPA, NIDA & VCA, but most importantly companies have launched, survived and thrived, and taken their work to stages all across Sydney and beyond.

We are also supremely grateful to the experienced theatre makers who partner with us to present work, often providing placements and mentoring to the emerging artists who have made KXT their artistic home. It is a joy to be working across generations here, and to showcase the best that independent theatre has to offer.

We couldn’t get anything done without the generous and selfless support of a bunch of people including but definitely not limited to Saro and Imogen of Montague Basement; Jack and Jodi at Panimo Creatives; Rebecca Blake for their work with Step Up; Mat and Annie and all their supporters at Legit Theatre; Charlie Vaux; Andrew McMartin; lighting legend Ben Brockman; Steve, Dave, Matt, Michael, Renee, and Becks on the bAKEHOUSE Board; and most especially Christopher Starnawski. There’s an additional army of unnamed legends who head up the stairs to help: with FOH, production meetings, bump ins, technical emergencies, or general advice and support and we couldn’t get the job done without you. KXT is an unstaffed creative collective, designed to be sustainable, affordable and at all times accessible, generating payment for artists and profile for theatre makers, and we’re hugely proud of what we’ve all achieved. 

So in typical KXT fashion, tonight we announce a packed season filled with brilliant plays, new work, some of our most promising artists, alongside some of our most experienced and acclaimed. We continue to centre women-led projects, and diverse storytelling. We’re excited to be announcing new seasons for previously postponed shows, some delayed twice, and we’re thrilled that we’ve been able to find space for so much more.

So that’s KXT2022.

In the coming year we’ll be home to new writing, emerging artists, diverse stories, women-led productions, popup seasons. We’re welcoming back old friends and meeting new people. All while offering a broad program of artist support.

In recent times shows have been cancelled, audiences locked out, and careers stalled, and art that would inspire and challenge and entertain and change our world sometimes a little and sometimes a lot has not been made.

In 2022 we’re making it happen.

Suzanne Millar

KXT Creative Director | bAKEHOUSE Co-Artistic Director

Photographer: Oliver Clarke

KXT IS AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE

KXT is affordable and accessible.  

Every season has an Early Bird campaign with limited tickets available at $30

Previews at KXT are at the low price of $35 *these sell quickly so book early

We’ve capped ticket prices at $40 concession and $50 adult

Every Thursday is our regular OPEN DOOR performance. What’s that about? We’re offering $20 tickets to under 30, mob, students and unwaged. What’s that about? We believe art should be accessible for all. By folding affordable tickets into our ticketing structure, we’re confident that we’re keeping the doors open to all. Apply the code OPENDOOR to an adult ticket at the checkout page and your ticket price will be adjusted. This ticket is only available for Thursday night performances

We have flat access from street level for those with mobility needs

KXT on Broadway is accessible by wheelchair We also have dedicated seating for hearing and sight impaired.

We’re dead keen to see Mums and bubs at the theatre, get in touch and we’ll set you up with the best easy exit seats

KXT on Broadway has safe and accessible all-genders bathroom facilities, and we’re working to keep signage warm and welcoming. 

Note that some seasons run a dedicated RELAXED PERFORMANCE during their final week. Get in touch and let us know what you need.

Through our KXT Vault programs we’re regularly welcoming non-traditional theatres into our spaces, working with our Venue Staff to ensure that KXT on Broadway is a safe space

KXT is affordable and accessible.

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KXT is a COVID SAFE VENUE

We are proud of our record of Covid management: since implementing our Covid Management Policies in 2021, KXT has been minimally impacted by Covid Cancellations. The last time a performance was cancelle due to Covid was in June 2022, and prior to that we were able to support affected companies as they managed the impacts of illness. This is despite delivering more work than any other venue in Sydney. Key to this success has been our masking policy. See below for details.

2023:

Please wear a mask while in the theatre seating banks.

You may enjoy a drink in the foyer and you’re welcome to take it into the theatre with you

Online ticketing only

Not latecomers will be admitted entry

If you are unwell or show any symptoms we ask that you please stay home

PLEASE NOTE: Our covid regulations are designed to protect the actors and crew that work at KXT. Indie budgets are tight, and have no room for under studies, and should a member of the company fall ill and performances need to be cancelled this can cost the company significant income. This is a small thing we can do to keep shows on stage and venues open

NSW Health Regulations change regularly and we will be in touch prior to the performance to notify you of an updated information 

KXT x COVID What We Did

2020 – 2023: KXT may have closed the theatre doors to audience during Covid, however we used the time available to us to make plans and implement programs that have ensured the venue thrived.

• During lockdowns we leant into our already robust mentoring program, launching Phone A Friend to support those emerging and graduating artists who were most impacted, by connecting them via Zoom with leading arts practitioners. We took our Step Up program to the next level, supporting young artists to develop, write and plan for upcoming seasons. We invested heavily in a program of support for producers to be sure they could launch successful work quickly when doors reopened

• As we came out of lockdowns, we first showcased the work of designers – those artists whose work needs a stage - launching By Design with a 3 week art installation. The season featured a week long durational work by Aleisa Jelbart; a short film by Jasmin Simmons, her first; and a breathtaking installation by WA designer Kelly Fregon. *Based in WA, border closures meant Kelly was unable to travel to NSW, and her work was created, packed up and shipped to a colleague in Sydney, who delivered and installed with Kelly on video call.

• We invested heavily in the bAKEHOUSE residency program, opening the doors to KXT to writers, directors, actors and producers to investigate and develop new work. This program included the development of Hubris & Humiliation which was picked up from KXT by STC; the development of the 3 most recent plays in the Belvoir 25a program: The Italians by Danny Ball, Feminazi by Laneikka Denne and Porpoise Pool by Jojo Zhou; and offered time for additional work on award-winning productions Symphonie Fantastique and Yellow Face

• Via our Open the Door platform we invested in short affordable and award-winning seasons of work from the graduates of our Step Up program, most notably Natives dir by Charlie Vaux and prod by Emily Buxton; and Three Fat Virgins Unassembled by Ovidia Yu dir by Tiffany Wong.

• We relaunched StoryLines, the bAKEHOUSE platform showcasing the work of writers and artists of colour, partnering with kwento on Saman Shad’s The Marriage Agency and One Hour No Oil by Jordan Shea & Kenneth Moraleda. We took Katie Pollock’s Human Activity - the playwright’s response to her bACE Residency in Kamthipura - back into final development ahead of a planned 2023 season

DINE & DISCOVER NSW

REDEEM your NSW DINE & DISCOVER vouchers on shows at KXT

Thanks to HUMANITIX we can now offer audience the opportunity to redeem their NSW Dine & Discover vouchers on all ticket purchases for shows at KXT

Follow the prompts on all ticket purchases as usual, and you’ll be asked to enter your voucher code on the final check out page.

Note that the vouchers are treated as cash which means the value of your ticket won’t be adjusted on the checkout page, but the amount deducted from your card will be reduced by the value of the voucher.

One voucher per booking only.

Dine + Discover tickets at KXT are facilitated and managed by our ticket partners at HUMANITIX. If you require any assistance please contact their support personnel via the ticket site

HERE WE GO...

OPEN THE DOOR is the bAKEHOUSE open access philosophy that is core to KXT. By developing deep community connections with Not-For-Profits and local organisations, we’ve been able to provide free tickets to those who would not otherwise have been able to attend theatre. We’ve worked with our partners at KX Hotel to make sure our theatre is accessible, with full lift access, gender neutral facilities, all ages access and relaxed performances. We’ve offered heavily discounted tickets to young audience members.

2020 has been a rough year. The cost of Covid to the arts community is immeasurable and we expect to feel its impact for years to come. We’ve spent the past few months developing work, offering peer networking, connecting early career artists with industry mentors and upskilling producers.

By reopening with a broad program of Artist Support we’re equipping producers and companies to quickly deliver quality productions, investing in the future success of their work.

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We’re supporting 12 producers, 7 companies, 3 designers, 10 emerging writers and 6 directors. We’ve got a couple of covid commissions in the pipeline. We’re continuing our Covid response programs Phone a Friend and Pay It Forward, and rolling out further initiatives designed to keep us connected and moving forward together.

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Open the Door is the bAKEHOUSE investment in the future of independent theatre.

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the bAKEHOUSE 2020 Residencies at KXT

have been made possible by the generous support of KX Hotel and Solotel with additional funding support from the City of Sydney

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LOOK BACK / MOVE FORWARD

KXT is a busy theatre. A year features back to back seasons in the Kings X Theatre, a year-round popup program in the Bordello, multiple support programs for Artists included emerging writers and new work, a year-long season of play reads, a formalised platform offering mentoring and opportunities for young and emerging artists, and multiple open-door meet ups and networking events

2020 has been a wild ride. The lockdown and temporary halt to all productions was an extraordinary event, and our sector will likely feel its impact for some time yet. Here at KXT the Cost of covid has been high and has meant the cancellation of

14 full scale productions

9 pop up seasons

3 platform programs for new writers

the 2020 mentoring team

6 scheduled play reads

6 networking events

9 production placements for emerging artists (internships)

A month-long fringe program

10 foyer meet-ups

4 artists networking opportunities

 In March when theatres went into lockdown, we had just seen the opening week of Everybody by Brandon Jacobs-Jenkins in a warmly received and well-reviewed season by Cross Pollinate Productions, one of only 3 seasons that made it to the KXT stage. We closed the doors mid-run of a play that took an existential look at the meaning of life, love and death. We had snuck in another season of Charlie Vaux’s Popup Comeout a little festival that does a lot, and we were scheduling meetings to finalise the 2020 Step Up team.

 We made the decision early to leave screen to those best skilled in the medium. Rather we threw all our focus into building a broad program of Artist Support, moving some existing initiatives to a digital platform, extending others to offer more, and launching some new programs. We were most concerned for those artists who were on their way, and for whom the momentum of 2020 was key to the development of their career. With Phone A Friend Rebecca Blake worked with us to connect industry professionals with young producers, directors, designers and actors, Bounce Back was our investment in upskilling emerging producers so they are well equipped to deliver quality work quickly, and we launched The Laboratory, a writer development program led by Saro Lusty-Cavallari, that this year was launched digitally.

 The hard data from the previous 12 months tells a story: 21,928 people attended productions at KXT. 476 artists participated in productions - with additional artists participating in our many industry support programs and events, such as KXTeethcutting our regular play reading program run by Legit Theatre Co. Also in 2019: KXT provided opportunities for 103 working artists in production support and technical design.

 Less than three months in our 2020 season was on track to exceed these numbers.

 There’s nothing quite like a global pandemic for triggering an analysis of how we spend our time, and like many of us we looked closely at how we do what we do and why we do it. And we’re here for another year. The arts, and the independent sector most particularly, is as always fragile, uncertain and underfunded, and we hope that we move forward with a greater understanding of our inter connectedness, and the need for us to work together more closely, and in support of one another.

When the govt said we could open up back in July, Health regs around social distancing meant our audience was at 25% a number that at the time made it impossible for producers to pay artists even the smallest fee, so we made the decision to focus on our Artist Support program with a series of residencies at KXT, investing in the future by supporting 12 producers, 7 companies, 3 designers, 10 emerging writers and 6 directors.

This has only be possible due to the patronage and ongoing support of our partners at KX Hotel and Solotel.

Back in March we made the commitment to every producer programmed for 2020 that their show was not cancelled, but rather postponed, and we are thrilled that our 2021 launch features some highly anticipated work. We’ve made room for some important new shows and exciting surprises, and we’ll be back in 2021 bright eyed and bushy tailed, newly excited for it all.

2021 // ANNOUNCING…

KXT Storytellers is a pop-up celebration of playwrights and words, the presentation of full-length plays, small pieces of writing, and special events created, launched and curated by Joanna Erskine. The festival has showcased 51 plays, pres by 34 directors working with hundreds of actors.  

Productions of scripts that had their first showing as part of Storytellers include: James Elazzi‘s plays Omar + Dawn and Son of Byblos, The Park by Simon Thomson, Jackson Used’s Lilac, Deadskin by Laneikka Denne, Sam O’Sullivan’s You’re Not Special, and Orange Thrower by Kirsty Marillier. Plays have continued dev as part of STCs rough drafts, and have been programmed at Griffin, NToP, Belvoir and KXT. 

 These are extraordinary results from 2 short seasons, thanks to Jo Erskine’s skill and hard work. Storytellers will be back in 2021 and we can’t wait to see what gems are discovered and polished

The Laboratory is a collaboration between bAKEHOUSE and Montague Basement that aims to foster emerging writers on the cusp of presenting their work on independent stages. Conceived before 2020 did what 2020 did, the writers of The Lab have spent their lockdown with Montague Basement co-director Saro Lusty-Cavallari developing new plays. The Lab Report will be the first public showing of these exciting new works, developed over a weeklong intensive with an amazing team of generous actors. As we emerge from a dark year into a hopefully brighter future, we can’t wait to share the work that’s been created that we have no doubt will be making its way to local stages very soon…

The 2020 Laboraoty writers are Margaret Thanos, Amber Spooner, Declan Coyle, Sime Knezevic, Rebecca Blake, Alex Travers, Jasper Lee-Lindsay, Eric Jiang. The 2020 Lab Report ran over the weekend of 12 and 13 December at KXT, and delivered some astonishing results. Keep an eye out for what happens next.

Applications for the 2021 Laboratory open in January. Check back for details

bAKEHOUSE has long provided opportunities and mentoring, pairing new and emerging artists with professional and experienced practitioners in the crucible of production. STEP UP at KXT is a philosophy ~ a way of working in our sector that connects artists; builds pathways; nurtures new work.

In recent years we’ve focused on a team of young and emerging artists as they put together the building blocks of their careers. Since 2018 Step Up team members have launched their own companies; jumped into opportunities at Darlinghurst TC, NToP, Belvoir, Griffin, Hayes Theatre, Carriageworks and more; some have gone on to study at NIDA, VCA and WAAPA, and others are recipients of highly regarded awards such as the Rose Byrne scholarship, and the Andrew Cameron fellowship. We’re extremely proud of the pathways that have grown from the work at KXT.

Step Up is back in 2021, tweaked and refreshed, and we’ll be opening up applications for the team in January

KXTs profiling of new writing has evolved from the long-held bakehouse commitment to showcasing new Australian work, with productions over the past 10 years of her holiness, Coup D’etat, a Land Beyond the River, His Mother’s Voice, and Junction all grounded in a focus on the too often untold stories of Australia, and our place in the world. 

Most recently in 2019 at KXT we were proud to partner with JACKRABBIT Theatre for the world premiere of Megan Wilding’s A Little Piece of Ash; and then went on to stage James Elazzis Omar + Dawn; the restaging of Tabitha Woo’s A Westerner’s Guide to the Opium Wars; and the award-winning GREEN DOOR THEATRE CO production of Good Dog. Our Popupstairs program featured the world premiere of Doing by Amy Sole.

In 2016 the first bAKEHOUSE production at KXT was the Australian premiere of Black Jesus by Anders Lustgarten with our StoryLines champion Elijah Williams in the title role, and in 2017 we were able to finally bring to the stage The Laden Table and Jatinga, both large cast productions developed over many years with the latter the result of our ongoing work in the slums of Mumbai. Storylines is the umbrella under which all this bAKEHOUSE work sits.

There’s more - much much more - and we are honoured to have partnered in the work with writers, actors, directors and producers who saw the need for and value of changing the stories on our stages. 

In 2021 we step it up.

We have dedicated time in August / September for a StoryLines season, showcasing the work of artists of colour. We’re making room for up to 3 productions by writers of colour, selected by an open call out and playing alongside a support program of play reads and artist workshops.

The program will be led by our StoryLines Ambassadors Renee Lim, and Elijah Williams. We’ve worked with Renee for 10 years now, at Seymour Centre, NIDA, Riverside, ATYP and now KXT. She has been a cast member on a swathe of bAKEHOUSE productions and has served for a time on our Board. We first worked with Elijah Williams on the very first iteration of StoryLines back in 2009, which featured A Land Beyond the River, a play based in part on his life, and then again in 2012 at NIDA and Tamarama Rock Surfers, and in development in 2013 at CRACK festival and ATYP. Elijah’s professional debut was here at KXT, where he was nominated for Best Newcomer.

We plan to move on fresh from the bin fire of 2020, knowing that Sydney’s indie sector is strong, inspired and so very capable, and as always up for the challenge, leading the change and the charge. Thank you for your faith in us. Thank you for being here. Thank you for making it through

**2020 isn’t done with us yet. Click HERE to read a letter from MKA Theatre of New Writing

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