Batch Festival

Overview

A new three-week celebration and showcase of cutting-edge, genre-bending theatre and performance is coming to Sydney's Stables Theatre this April. Griffin Theatre Company's inaugural Batch Festival fuses spoken word, comedy, visual arts and music with immersive theatre and cabaret to create a veritable feast of powerful, provocative performance.

The festival celebrates an incredible crew of talents, from poets and lyrical storytellers like Omar Musa to comedians and cabaret artists like Mama Alto and Betty Grumble. Expect to see out-of-the-box performances with the world premiere of Cassie Workman, Giantess, which combines music, comedy, storytelling and illustration, as well as at Brown Skin Girl, which brings together visual art, music, spoken word and movement.

Festival curator Phil Spencer explains this decision to feature a multitude of arts and performance genres, "this next wave of artists doesn't necessarily write plays, they make hip hop, perform stand-up, write songs, improvise stories, invite audiences to help them make the work and experiment with the theatrical form in vital and important ways."

During the festival, guests can also book into special late-night performances, showcasing the funny, the awkward and the fabulous.

For those who seek something a bit more interactive, head outside with the Exclusion Zone: Walking Tour on an hour-long 'tour' of Kings Cross. You'll set out to investigate 'recent unaccountable crypto-cartographic activity', but under the guise of a walking tour.

Pre- or post-show, visit Glimpse, an ethereal hidden garden where theatregoers can kick off their shoes and explore this otherworldly land in the heart of the city. And there to support your nights of innovative and immersive theatre, Batch Brewing Co. will be slinging craft beers in the foyer of the Stables.

The inaugural Batch Festival runs from April 11–28. Discover the full program and purchase tickets here.