Adelaide University Theatre Guild Presents

VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE

South Australian Premiere

Written by Christopher Durang

Directed by Hayley Horton

9–18 October 2026 | Little Theatre

Poster Design by Bonnie McAllister

This episode of For the Love of Theatre Podcast is all about the production of VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE presented by The Adelaide University Theatre Guild. It is hosted by Annabel Whitford, with featured interviews with Director, Hayley Horton, Properties Person, Shari Harkness, along with Cast Members, Kate Anolak (Sonia) and Gary George (Vanya).

MORE ABOUT OUR HOST - ANNABEL WHITFORD

Annabel is a theatre producer, performer and dedicated audience member. Since 2021, she is the Administrator of the Adelaide University Theatre Guild, helping keep one of Australia’s longest-running theatre companies thriving behind the scenes. With a life scheduled around shows, she spends much of her time in Adelaide auditoriums, whether supporting local productions or appearing in them herself - especially this year, with Stirling Players (Peace in Our Time) and FUPAS (Under The Table). Annabel has crewed numerous productions, takes regular dance classes, and occasionally co-hosts a theatre or a television podcast.

SUMMARY

A hilarious family drama with a very Chekhovian twist.

Vanya and Sonia are siblings who have spent years living in their family home – and they’re not exactly

thrilled about it. When their glamorous movie star sister Masha arrives with her much younger boyfriend

Spike, old rivalries, frustrations and family secrets come bubbling to the surface. Over one chaotic

weekend, the siblings clash over love, jealousy, ambition, identity and what it means to feel stuck while

everyone else seems to be moving forward.

Expect sharp comedy, outrageous characters, a costume party, a Maggie Smith impression...

Riffing on the characters, themes and stories of Anton Chekhov, Christopher Durang's Tony Award-

winning comedy for Best Play gives classic theatre a wildly contemporary makeover.

SEASON: October 9th-18th

VENUE: The Little Theatre

TICKETS: trybooking.com/DGADV

MUSIC FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE

The Title Track, For the Love of Theatre Podcast by Ben Waller.

Music by Aleksandr Karabanov from Pixabay.

No Strings Attached Theatre of Disability

in association with Adelaide Festival Centre presents

ARK

Written by JW Smith

Directed by Paulo Castro

Season: 3rd – 5th Sept 2026

Venue: Space Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre

TICKETS - https://premier.ticketek.com.au

Poster Design by Fallon and Co

Creative Conversations with No Strings

Guest Host, Dr. Kari Seeley takes us behind the curtain for the upcoming production of ARK, written by JW Smith and presented by No Strings Attached Theatre of Disability in association with Adelaide Festival Centre. This episode features interviews with playwright, JW Smith, Cast Member, Patrick Suto, as well as AC Arts students who are working on set design and build for this production and Casey Van Sebille, the Head of Design at Adelaide College of the Arts, with original music composed by Pedro Fiuza.

MORE ABOUT OUR GUEST HOST - Dr. Kari Seeley

Before joining No Strings, Kari worked in broadcast media(radio and TV) in Australia and overseas.. Apparently, she was born talking and over the years has refined that to an artform (according to her Dad)! While leading the day-to-day operations at No Strings, Kari completed her doctorate in 2023, with a focus on the End-user Experience of Audio Description for Live Performance. Her post-grad studies brought together Kari’s love of live performance and her passion for disability access. In her ‘spare’ time Kari is also a professional Audio Describer, often working with Access2Arts here in Adelaide and occasionally taking gigs interstate and even overseas.

MORE ABOUT No Strings

No Strings was started by disabled actor, Helen Flinter Leach, in 1994, on the strong belief in the transformative power of paid meaningful work in the arts. No Strings is a creative environment where disabled performers are positioned as authors, collaborators, and decision-makers. Artistic Director, Paulo Castro, says “Disability is no excuse for poor quality” and we live by that motto! Our work is artistically excellent and socially transformative. We support disabled performers to build professional pathways, recognising disability as a creative identity not a limitation.

https://nostrings.org.au/listing/ark/

ARK SUMMARY

ARK is a powerful new theatre work from acclaimed South Australian playwright JW Smith (The Construct), directed by Paulo Castro.

This gripping production takes audiences deep inside the fractured mind of a high-flying executive pushed to breaking point by the relentless daily grind of modern life. As pressure mounts and reality begins to blur, he finds himself on the edge, ready to walk away from everything he’s built.

Drawn into the gritty underworld of a stranger on the docks, ARK unfolds as a raw and compelling exploration of identity, control, and what happens when the structures we rely on begin to collapse.

Bold, immersive and thought-provoking, ARK is a striking new work that challenges perception and reveals the human cost of living on the edge.

ARK, No Strings

SEASON: 3rd to 5th September 2026

DURATION: 1hr 30min - no interval

LOCATION: Space Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre, King William Rd, Adelaide

RATING: M (15+)

WARNINGS: Includes themes of suicide and self-harm.

ACCESS: Audio Description and Auslan Interpreting provided at 2:30pm Sat 5th Sept.

TRIGGER WARNING

If any content brings up difficult feelings for you, please reach out for support:

Lifeline: 13 11 14

or Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636

MUSIC FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE

The Title Track, For the Love of Theatre Podcast written and performed by BEN WALLER

Original Music Composed by Pedro Fiuza.

Any Hashtags -

#NoStrings #DisabilityArts #Access #Access2Arts #SpaceTheatre #AFC #AdelaideFestivalCentre