The Stage Is A Country In Itself. With Its Own Rules And Regulations. Or Lack Of Them.

The Audition is a moving insight into the protocols and powers that permit or deny entry into our country and to our stages. The gatekeepers. The Audition examines the parallels between actors auditioning for work and refugees seeking asylum in Australia.

A cohesive, multi-authored work by Iranian asylum seeking artists and immigrants and acclaimed Australian playwrights, The Audition honours those whose lives are spent awaiting entry.

Contrasting yet cohesive, transformation of character, time and place hauntingly meld with metatheatre, verbatim, poetry and song. The fourth wall and actor-audience relationship shifts throughout the performance. 

Content Warnings: This work explores the repercussions of war, inferring the violence and trauma experienced by individuals, including children, due to displacement and conflict.

Director, Concept And Dramaturg: Irine Vela 

Writers: Christos Tsiolkas, Melissa Reeves, Milad Norouzi, Patricia Cornelius, Sahra Davoudi, Tes Lyssiotis And Wahibe Moussa 

Cast: Mary Sitarenos, Milad Norouzi And Sahra Davoudi

Musician: Vahideh EisaeiĀ 

Co-Dramaturg: Maryanne Lynch And Irine Vela

Lighting Designer: Gina Gascoigne 

Designer: Adrienne Chisholm 

Image by Miguel Rios 

*Matinees available on Wed, Thurs, Fri.


Access Information:

Visual rating 50%: Events are partly subtitled or include dialogue, background music and/or sounds, so d/Deaf and hard of hearing audiences can have some engagement with the event.

75% Aural rating Symbol

Aural Rating 75%: Mainly sound-based, with visuals only incidental to the work, so blind or low vision audiences can have close to the full experience of the event.


Highly recommended for years 9-12+.

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