Tirra Lirra by the River at Byron Theatre

Date: 5 - 13 June 2026
Where: Byron Theatre

A major Australian work is reimagined this June as Tirra Lirra by the River arrives at Byron Theatre in a bold new production blending powerful storytelling with cutting-edge audio-visual design.

Presented by Byron Theatre Company and Fairbairn + Wild Productions, this new stage adaptation of Jessica Anderson’s Miles Franklin Award-winning novel offers a deeply moving exploration of memory, identity and belonging.

The story follows Nora — exile, artist, lover and wife — as she returns to the Australian home she once knew, only to find the past waiting. What unfolds is an intimate reckoning, as Nora revisits the lives she has lived in search of the woman she has become.

In an increasingly digital world, Tirra Lirra by the River offers something rare: a shared live experience shaped in real time between performers and audience — immediate, human and immersive.

Led by writers and co-directors Heather Fairbairn and Kate Wild, the production features an exceptional cast:

• Toni Scanlan (The Newsreader, Water Rats)

• Waangenga Blanco (Dear Son)

• Pirie Outridge (Murwillumbah-based emerging artist)

Together, they bring to life a sweeping narrative that spans the twentieth century, from jazz-age Sydney to post-war London.

A compelling blend of classic literature and contemporary theatre-making, this is a production that champions new work while creating space for local artists to shine — one to experience while it’s here.