Merrigong Theatre Company is delighted to launch its annual independent artists’ program MERRIGONGX, featuring four original works and a stunning line-up of local talent from the
Illawarra region.

MERRIGONGX places artists and their practices at the heart of the community. From in-house creative developments to fully staged public presentations of new work and everything in between, MERRIGONGX provides independent artists with essential financial, technical, marketing, and artistic
resources.

MERRIGONGX’s 2026 Artist’s Program includes:

• Arawarra (26 – 28 March)

Gammea-Dharawal man and Dharawal language teacher, Jake Māra and Director Lincoln Smith unearth the hidden tale of Arawarra, a First Nations leader and freedom fighter who was erased from our history books.

• Two Weeks (28 – 30 May)

Australian journalist, playwright and Wollongong local, Siobhán Doran-Chaston presents an intimate new play on life, death and the universe, loosely based on her and her now-husband.

• Cicada (27 – 29 Aug)

In this immersive blend of theatre and visual art, Illawarra playwright Tegan Ware takes audiences on a journey through the tumultuous life of an unnamed artist, exploring the depths of memory and how much of ourselves we lose in the process of creating art. An immersive experience, Cicada will be performed in Wollongong Art Gallery.

• Service (24 – 26 Sep)

Wollongong theatre Producer Lachlan Grogan (The Australian Ballet’s Romeo and Juliet) presents a high-octane dance theatre collision that dives headfirst into the controlled chaos of the hospitality industry.