Some of the biggest musicals and theatre shows that have been running over the past few months are finally winding down at the tail-end of October, wiping the slate clean for a fresh batch of productions popping up in this year’s penultimate month.
Hamilton, Sister Act and Sunset Boulevard are all on their way out, leaving room for both big-ticket productions and those smaller, more intimate shows that bring life to the many theatres across Sydney.
To help you get across the wonderful diversity of productions, we’ve rounded up the best shows you should see this month, from the Dear Evan Hansen‘s tender coming-of-age story to the big, bombastic rock opera that is Jesus Christ Superstar.
10 shows you need to see in Sydney this November
1. SIX The Musical, Sydney CBD
SIX The Musical has returned to Theatre Royal Sydney for 80 minutes of pop-powered theatre as the six wives of Henry VIII rewrite history and argue over who had the worst marriage. The Tony Award-winning musical has been in high demand ever since it debuted back in 2017, witnessed by around 3.5 million people around the world each year.
After a successful local tour in Melbourne, the musical begins a limited run in Sydney that’ll take it through to the end of the year. Kimberley Hodgson, Deirdre Khoo, Loren Hunter, Zelia Rose Kitoko, Chelsea Dawson and Giorgia Kennedy are all on board as Henry’s wives, all of whom hilariously bring their own sense of style to stage for what should easily be one of the rowdier productions of 2024.
But will it be funnier than Titanique? You’ll need to head along with Theatre Royal Sydney this month to find out.
Director: Claire Healy
Cast: Kimberley Hodgson, Deirdre Khoo, Loren Hunter, Zelia Rose Kitoko, Chelsea Dawson, Giorgia Kennedy
Where: Theatre Royal Sydney; 108 King St, Sydney NSW 2000
When: Until December 28, 2024
Price: $99.50
2. Jesus Christ Superstar, Haymarket
Strutting back into town is rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar. November is clearly a month for those big, toe-tapping musicals so the timing couldn’t be any better for a mesmerising new production based on the classic, which has been playing to audiences for over 50 years now.
Featuring lyrics by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, the newly revived production offers a new spin on the playful biblical tale, which is entirely song-based and runs through the complicated dynamics between Jesus, Judas, Mary Magdalene and his several disciples.
Director: Timothy Sheader
Cast: Michael Paynter, Javon King, Mahalia Barnes, Reuben Kaye, Peter Murphy
Where: Capitol Theatre Sydney; 13 Campbell St, Haymarket NSW 2000
When: November 13 – December 1, 2024
Price: From $69.90
3. Dear Evan Hansen, Walsh Bay
With six Tony Awards and an abundance of critical acclaim behind it, Dear Evan Hansen has been packing crowds into the Roslyn Packer Theatre since mid-October. Sydney Theatre Company and Michael Cassel Group present the story of a socially anxious high school boy forced into the spotlight when he inadvertently plays an important role in a local tragedy.
The coming-of-age tale promises to bring something raw and inspiring to the historic theatre, perfect for fans of deeply complex, profound stories told through the lens of an explosive Broadway musical.
Director: Dean Bryant
Cast: Beau Woodbridge, Martin Crewes, Verity Hunt-Ballard, Georgia Laga’aia, Natalie O’Donnell
Where: Roslyn Packer Theatre; 22 Hickson Rd, Walsh Bay
When: October 12 – November 24
Price: From $125
4. La Clique, Circular Quay
La Clique is a bit of an outlier on this list of the best shows in Sydney right now. It’s not a musical, nor a theatre production. There is no melodrama nor much deeper meaning beyond unadulterated, flirty entertainment. Instead, it’s a high-octane, wildly entertaining variety show with cabaret, sword-swallowing, fire-breathing and plenty of high-flying antics to keep audiences in awe for 1.5 hours.
If you want to know more about to expect from La Clique you can check our review of the show.
Producer: David Bates
Cast: Tuedon Ariri, Heather Holliday, David Pereira, Mirko Köckenberger, LJ Marles, Ursula Martinez
Where: Sydney Opera House; Bennelong Point, Sydney NSW 2000
When: Until November 17, 2025
Price: From $79.90
5. Yentl, Circular Quay
Telling the story of a young woman who defies the Jewish Orthodox tradition forbidding females from studying theology, Yentl is an adaptation that digs into the feminist undertones of the original tale. As the story goes, after Yentl’s father dies, she dresses herself in male guise to continue her studies, uncovering the dynamic themes of religion, gender, sexual politics, Yiddish themes, faith and love.
With the limited season kicking off in mid-October, look for this to pick up in popularity as it winds down towards the middle of the month.
Director: Gary Abrahams
Cast: Amy Hack, Nicholas Jaquinot, Genevieve Kingsford, Evelyn Krape
Where: Sydney Opera House; Bennelong Point, Sydney NSW 2000
When: Until November 10, 2025
Price: From $75
6. August: Osage Country
Written by the legendary Tracy Letts, the Pulitzer Prize-winning August: Osage County is coming to Sydney with director Eamon Flack handling the classic story of intergenerational trauma flecked with addiction, abandonment, pain and joy. Tracy wrote this poetic, highly emotional tale about the vicious parts of ourselves that we try to hide, bringing it to life with a deep understanding of the need for communication and healing.
You’ve (most likely) seen the classic movie so this is a great opportunity to see the story brought to life on stage, driven by theatre favourites Tamsin Carroll and Bee Cruse with support from Amy Matthews, Johnny Nasser and more.
Director: Eamon Flack
Cast: Tamsin Carroll, Bee Cruse, John Howard, Bert Labonte, Amy Mathews, Johnny Nasser
Where: Belvoir St Theatre; 25 Belvoir St, Surry Hills NSW 2010
When: November 9 – December 15, 2025
Price: From $74
7. Cirque du Soleil: Luzia
Sydney’s latest Cirque du Soleil production kicks off towards the end of November and runs through to the new year at Entertainment Quarter’s The Showring. As the show has been chosen to celebrate 25 years of Cirque du Soleil in Australia, you’re guaranteed to get the very best of the show’s usual high-flying, visually spectacular way of storytelling.
In Luzia, director Daniele Finzi Pasca takes audiences to a vibrant Mexico with scenes including an old movie set and a smoky dance hall, taking the production from the ocean to the arid desert as it touches on various Mexican traditions sketched onto showstopping acrobatic performances. And there should be plenty of rain worked into the scenes, which is apparently a first for a Cirque du Soleil touring production.
Director: Daniele Finzi Pasca
Where: The Showring; 122 Lang Rd, Moore Park NSW 2021
When: November 24, 2024 – February 9, 2025
Price: $90
8. Sweat
Sydney Theatre Company has adapted Lynn Nottage’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Sweat for an intimate run at Wharf 1 Theatre, telling the story of factory workers struggling to keep their head above water as the American steel industry collapses around them. The industrial framework is overlaid with personal struggles between three life-long friends, holding a nice line of tension that informs much of the production.
The story has performed well on both Broadway and the West End before so this local production should fare well during the season, especially with acting legends Lisa McCune and Paula Arundell leading the charge.
Director: Zindzi Okenyo
Cast: Lisa McCune, Paula Arundell, Gabriel Alvarado, Yure Covich, James Fraser
Where: Wharf 1 Theatre; Wharf 4/5, 15 Hickson Rd, Dawes Point NSW 2000
When: November 11 – December 22, 2024
Price: $90 – $105
9. Sunday
Director Sarah Goodes mines the stories and myths of Australia’s notorious Heide Circle—a collective of friends, lovers and rivals that led Australia’s visual art scene in the mid-20th century—to bring some of the country’s greatest artists to life on stage. Sunday is a story of passion as it explores that fiery love triangle that impacted this collective of artists and friends, giving the story a great deal of weight as it deals with themes of love, politics, history and art.
Sydney Theatre Company squeezes this production into the Drama Theatre at Sydney Opera House, following a sold-out run in Melbourne that played to rave reviews.
Director: Sarah Goodes
Cast: Matt Day, Jude Hyland, Ratidzo Mambo, James O’ Connell, Nikki Shiels
Where: Sydney Opera House; Bennelong Point, Sydney NSW 2000
When: October 28 – December 7, 2024
Price: $55 – $70
10. Promises, Promises
Running for less than a week at Sydney favourite Hayes Theatre, Promises, Promises promises to bring a new life to Neil Simon’s adaptation of 1960 film The Apartment. For those uninitiated, the simple, symbolic and intimate story tracks a young janitor executive at an insurance company and his attempt to climb the corporate ladder by leasing his apartment to his superiors for their romantic encounters and private affairs.
All the legendary Bacharach and David songs are here, including “Say A Little Prayer” and “A House Is Not A Home,” locking in the next production in the popular Neglected Musicals series which has been highlighting under-the-radar productions since 2010.
Director: Dean Drieberg
Cast: Stefanie Caccamo, Jarrod Draper, Scott Irwin, Wayne Scott Kermond, P Tucker Worley
Where: Hayes Theatre; 19 Greenknowe Ave, Potts Point NSW 2011
When: November 13 – 17, 2025
Price: $70
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