werkaholics
- 29 Jul – 17 Aug 25 Downstairs Theatre
werkaholics
By Vivian Nguyen
Directed by Nicole Pingon
- Venue Downstairs Theatre
- Dates 29 Jul – 17 Aug 25
- Presented by
- Supported by
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Lilian is Australia’s latest it-girl. Jillian is a struggling actor. Together, they thrive on clean-girl aesthetics and dreams of stardom. But when cultural zeitgeist icon Unmoi threatens Lilian’s Instagram empire, she finds herself on the brink of cancellation. With Jillian by her side, it’s them and manifestation versus the world—or so they think.
werkaholics by Vivian Nguyen is a bold exploration of influencer culture, intersectional feminism, and the unfiltered truths about our evolving relationship with money, whiteness, and liberation in 21st-century capitalism. A hyper-pop interrogation of modern conundrums, it’s an absurdist and comedic take on digital hysteria.
As Lilian and Jillian navigate the ruthless demands of digital fame, mounting debt, and a shifting social landscape, they must decide what matters most: dreams of fame or your best friend?
Special Performances
AUSLAN Interpreted Performance
Thursday 7th August 2025
The Manifestation
Saturday 9th August 2025
We’re manifesting strong community vibes for this one.
Join the team behind werkaholics on Saturday 9th of August as we break out of the theatre, take over the foyer and manifest our online communities into an IRL gathering. Take part in exciting communal artworks, listen to sweet sweet tunes and eat the finest of foods. Celebrating the Asian-Australian community, this is a space to meet, connect, laugh and of course manifest.
It’s going to be an evening of immaculate energy, so come along!
The Debt Gala
Tuesday 12th August 2025
The team of poor underpaid artists working downstairs at Belvoir St, request the pleasure of your company this International Youth Day at THE DEBT GALA, a celebration of those of us who will never be able to afford a house.
Join the honorary chairs of this event (again the underpaid artist team) for a pre-show talk about young people, the internet, the workplace and how we can navigate a world dripping in late stage capitalism. Then at 6:45pm meet Lilian, and Jillian as they discover the ruthless demands of digital fame, mounting debt and the shifting social landscape.
Following the show there will be a Q&A with the cast and creatives, to unpack all the ideas of the show.
Hosted by our own Vanity…fair? Join us at Downstairs Belvoir, for a cheaper price than the rest of the season – because if we can’t afford houses we can damn well afford to see independent theatre!
PANELISTS: Nicole Pingon (director), Rachel Seeto (assistant director), Ruby Jenkins (set and costume designer), Zack Lewin (dramaturg). Hosted by Jane May (Belvoir – Head of Education)
*This is an all-ages event. Alcohol free zone in the green room.
The venue and panels are accessible for wheelchair users and those with low mobility.
SCHEDULE:
Arrival → 5:30pm
Panel start → 5:50pm
Ends → 6:20pm
Head to the to foyer: chatterbox making, order food, get drinks, chat
Show → 6:45pm
Post- Show Q&A with the cast (following show)
werkaholics is supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW.
Special thanks to Malcolm Robertson Foundation, Footscray Community Arts Centre, Shopfront Arts Co-op, Sydney Theatre Company and Dirty Pennies Theatre.
Image by Lucy Wylie.
Performance Times
Upcoming Performances
Weekly Times
- tuesday 6:45PM
Except 29 Jul at 7:45pm
- wednesday 6:45PM
No performance on 30 Jul
- thursday 7:45PM
- friday 7:45PM
- saturday 7:45PM
- sunday 5:15PM
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Signed -
Community Night
TEAM
- Vivian Nguyen
PlaywrightVivian Nguyen
- Nicole Pingon
Director
Read full bioNicole Pingon (she/they) is a multidisciplinary artist, theatre maker, and artist facilitator working across live performance, installation and digital mediums. Expanding across and between mediums, Nicole’s practice tends to be collaborative, curiosity-led, and process-driven. Most recently, Nicole directed Little Eggs Collective’s Moon Rabbit Rising for Belvoir 25A, which won three Sydney Theatre Awards. Other directing […]
Nicole Pingon
Nicole Pingon (she/they) is a multidisciplinary artist, theatre maker, and artist facilitator working across live performance, installation and digital mediums. Expanding across and between mediums, Nicole’s practice tends to be collaborative, curiosity-led, and process-driven.
Most recently, Nicole directed Little Eggs Collective’s Moon Rabbit Rising for Belvoir 25A, which won three Sydney Theatre Awards. Other directing credits include: Blush Opera’s new Australian opera, Chop Chef for Riverside Theatres Parramatta (co-directed with Kenneth Moraleda), Shopfront Junior Ensemble’s Mums Tell Dad Jokes Too (co-directed with Tasha O’Brien), and Blush Opera’s forthcoming Songs of the Sirens, an ocean-side operatic experience for Bondi Festival. As assistant director: Opening Night (Belvoir, dir. Carissa Licciardello), Ate Lovia (kwento/Red Line, dir. Kenneth Moraleda), The Lies We Were Told (Shopfront/Monkey Baa, dir. Natalie Rose). Nicole has created audio works for The Wheeler Centre, Constellations and is the sound designer on Bad Taste, an SBS podcast. In 2022, they presented a participatory performance score as part of Temporary Position’s De-Choiring series at Phoenix Central Park. Nicole is a member and collaborator of the Little Eggs Collective and Ninefold Ensemble, and a passionate teaching artist.
Cast
- Shirong Wu
Read full bioShirong Wu is pleased to perform as Joy for the world premiere of Miss Peony. She is lucky to have worked on the Belvoir stage previously, playing Marie in the Australian premiere performance of Cursed. She was Xiao Chen for Sydney Theatre Company and Riverside Parramatta’s co-production of White Pearl by Anchuli Felicia King. On several Melbourne stages, […]
Shirong Wu
Shirong Wu is pleased to perform as Joy for the world premiere of Miss Peony. She is lucky to have worked on the Belvoir stage previously, playing Marie in the Australian premiere performance of Cursed. She was Xiao Chen for Sydney Theatre Company and Riverside Parramatta’s co-production of White Pearl by Anchuli Felicia King. On several Melbourne stages, she has appeared as Anne in Between the Buildings Theatre Company’s What Every Girl Should Know, and Annie Wong in Dirty Pennies Theatre Project’s Flagman. On screen she can be found in short films such as What We’re Owed and Mothertongue; in television as Rachel Chen on Neighbours, and as Ying in award winning director Matthew Victor Pastor’s upcoming film, Pencil to the Jugular which made its debut at the Moscow International Film Festival.Shirong is proud to have received the Best Supporting Actress award for playing the Cockroach in I, Cockroach for the Monash One Act Play Festival and Best Ensemble at the Sydney Theatre Awards as part of the White Pearl cast.
- Ruby Duncan
Ruby Duncan
- Georgia Oom
Georgia Oom
Creatives
- Rachel Seeto
Assistant DirectorRachel Seeto
- Zack Lewin
DramaturgZack Lewin
- Ruby Jenkins
Set and Costume DesignerRuby Jenkins
- Christine Pan
Composer and Sound DesignerChristine Pan
- Frankie Clarke
Lighting DesignerFrankie Clarke
- Harrison Hall
Digital ArtistHarrison Hall
- Daniel Herten
AV Systems
Read full bioDaniel Herten (he/they) is a Sound Designer, Composer, Video Designer and Creative Technologist working across live performance and interactive media. Living in Fiji, China and Thailand before Australia – Daniel now collaborates on Bidjigal and Gadigal land to tell stories. Their work explores how audiences interface with stories, focusing on integrating real-time technology to enhance […]
Daniel Herten
Daniel Herten (he/they) is a Sound Designer, Composer, Video Designer and Creative Technologist working across live performance and interactive media. Living in Fiji, China and Thailand before Australia – Daniel now collaborates on Bidjigal and Gadigal land to tell stories. Their work explores how audiences interface with stories, focusing on integrating real-time technology to enhance the two-way discussions we have between ourselves and our art.
Daniel’s Selected Credits Include:
Composer of Furious Mattress (Belvoir 25A), Australian Sound Associate of The Picture Of Dorian Gray (Michael Cassel Group, Broadway), Composer & Sound Designer of The Lewis Trilogy, SISTREN (Griffin Theatre Co), Composer, Sound Designer & co-Video Designer of Collapsible (Essential Workers), Composer & Sound Designer of Plenty Of Fish In The Sea (Clockfire Theatre Co), Sound Designer, Associate Video Designer & Animator of Flat Earthers: The Musical (Hayes & Griffin Theatre Co), Sound Designer of Set Piece (RISING Festival), Video & Sound Designer of Ride The Cyclone (Hayes Theatre Co), Sound Designer of Black Box The Musical (Tinderbox Prod).
Daniel’s Selected Awards Include:
Tony Awards: Best Sound Design Of A Play for The Picture Of Dorian Gray (Nomination), Sydney Theatre Awards: Best Sound Design And Composition Of A Mainstage Production for The Lewis Trilogy (Nomination).
- Shondelle Pratt
Intimacy CoordinatorShondelle Pratt
- Diego Retamales
Fight Choreographer
Read full bioDiego is a Chilean-Australian actor and fight choreographer based in Sydney/Gadigal with a B. Performance from Theatre Nepean’s final graduating year in 2008. Recent fight choreography credits include: Timon of Athens (Sport for Jove), POSH (Old Fitz/Queen Hades), Furious Mattress (Belvoir 25A), Pride and Prejudice (Old Fitz), SHOOK (Lost Thought/Qtopia), Teenage Dick (Flight Path), A Very Expensive […]
Diego Retamales
Diego is a Chilean-Australian actor and fight choreographer based in Sydney/Gadigal with a B. Performance from Theatre Nepean’s final graduating year in 2008.
Recent fight choreography credits include: Timon of Athens (Sport for Jove), POSH (Old Fitz/Queen Hades), Furious Mattress (Belvoir 25A), Pride and Prejudice (Old Fitz), SHOOK (Lost Thought/Qtopia), Teenage Dick (Flight Path), A Very Expensive Poison (New Theatre), The Wasp (Akimbo + Co), Apocka-wocka-localypse (Tooth and Sinew), A Fortunate Few (Something Wicked), One Man Two Guv’nors (New Theatre), Labyrinth (Flight Path) and U.B.U (Tooth and Sinew/KXT).
Diego has also spent the last 15 years in professional wrestling as a wrestler, trainer and most recently Ring Announcer for Pro Wrestling Australia (PWA).
- Emily Whiting
Stage ManagerEmily Whiting
- Tyler Fitzpatrick
ProducerTyler Fitzpatrick
- Lily Hayman
ProducerLily Hayman
- Rachel Kamath
ProducerRachel Kamath
- Vivian Nguyen
ProducerVivian Nguyen
- Ruby Duncan
ProducerRuby Duncan
- Jess Henley-Sadgrove
Production ManagerJess Henley-Sadgrove
