What's On

The Spare Room
 

Belvoir presents a gripping adaptation of Australian literary icon Helen Garner’s award-winning novel The Spare Room, starring Aussie screen legend Judy Davis in her first on-stage role in almost 15 years.

Directed and adapted by Eamon Flack, Belvoir’s artistic director, and featuring Elizabeth Alexander (Netflix’s Clickbait, STC’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf), alongside the three-time Emmy Award-winner, The Spare Room is an emotionally nuanced depiction of two old friends confronting the burden of illness, inspired by Garner’s own experiences caring for a friend with cancer.

When Helen’s old friend, Nicola, comes to town for treatment, it only makes sense she should stay in the spare room. Nicola has put her faith in a shady alternative cancer clinic, and Helen is determined to be her brilliant friend and carer no matter what. But as the sleepless nights rack up, a short stay in the spare room becomes a loving, maddening battle for life.

From frustration and rage to love and honesty, this tour-de-force of modern Australian theatre is not to be missed.

 

Event details

Venue: Belvoir St Theatre
Bookings: https://belvoir.com.au/productions/the-spare-room/
Start Date: Sunday 29 June 2025

 

Find more events in Sydney»

Disclaimer: Australian Stage takes no responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided in event listings. You are advised to confirm performance dates/times with the company and/or venue before purchasing tickets.

Most read reviews

  • The Rock Orchestra by Candlelight
    The Rock Orchestra by Candlelight
    Even the instruments are custom-cool, bare down to the bones like the skeletal relics of orchestras of the underworld. 
  • The Book of Mormon
    The Book of Mormon
     It’s been almost 15 years since The Book of Mormon premiered on Broadway and even longer since Joseph Smith ‘discovered’ the golden plates that provided the inspiration for the show. 
  • A Mirror | Belvoir
    A Mirror | Belvoir
    Steeped in meta-theatricality, A Mirror prompts us to reflect on the status of storytelling, of its place in creating a culture, its manipulation into myth, its power to prick and to prod.
  • My Brilliant Career | Melbourne Theatre Company
    My Brilliant Career | Melbourne Theatre Company
     Step aside The Boy from Oz, there’s a new contender for the title of ‘The Great Australian Musical’.
  • Mary said what she said | 2026 Adelaide Festival
    Mary said what she said | 2026 Adelaide Festival
    Going from that show to Mary said what she said was like going from a Mozart piano concerto to one of the more repetitive pieces by Philip Glass.