The Blind Giant is Dancing

Warning: this production contains the smoking of herbal cigarettes, a live gunshot, haze, loud industrial noises and political despair.

Brutality in the workplace, rage in the streets, seething in the home. The vulnerability of political parties when they’ve forgotten why they’re there. The intellectual torpor of modern Australia. How power corrupts.

Stephen Sewell’s play is an angry and tender depiction of an idealist who becomes so embroiled in a party power struggle that he loses sight of what’s at stake. When it premiered in 1983, The Blind Giant is Dancing felt like a sharp slap in the face. And in an age of ICAC, Union credit cards, speculative housing bubbles, a pulverised working class, vapid leadership… it’s definitely time for another look at this Australian classic.

Artistic Director Eamon Flack begins his tenure with a company of eleven of the country’s great actors and one of the country’s great plays.

Winner of the 1985 New South Wales Premier’s Literary Award.

Michael Denkha
Ivan Donato
Andrew Henry 
Emma Jackson
Russell Kiefel
Genevieve Lemon
Geoff Morrell
Zahra Newman
Dan Spielman
Yael Stone
Ben Wood

By Stephen Sewell
Director Eamon Flack
Set & Costume Designer Dale Ferguson
Lighting Designer Verity Hampson
Composer & Sound Designer Steve Toulmin
Fight Choreographer Scott Witt
Stage Manager Melanie Stanton
Assistant Stage Manager Grace Nye-Butler

Tuesday 6.30pm
Wednesday to Friday 8pm
Saturday 2pm & 8pm
Sunday 5pm

Previews (bookable)
8pm, 13 February
6.30pm, 14 February
8pm, 16 February

Opening night (invitation only)
8pm, 17 February

Unwaged performance
2pm, 25 February

Captioned performance
2pm, 5 March

Audio-described performance
2pm, 12 March

Sunday Forum
3pm, 20 March

RUNNING TIME
Approx 2 hrs, 40 mins (including two intervals of 10 and 15 minutes)

Belvoir’s ticket prices can be dynamically adjusted either up or down without notice. This can apply to a small number of tickets in response to demand for a specific performance date or time.

Prices listed on the Ticket Prices page account for the majority of tickets but please contact Box Office for current prices on all tickets available. Full ticket terms and conditions are also available on the same page.

Rehearsal images by Brett Boardman

Production images by Brett Boardman

Spielman makes riveting theatre of Allen’s slow corruption and transformation into the kind of power-for-power’s sake political operator he once despised.

Jason Blake | The Sydney Morning Herald

All the questions about family, marriage, power and personal need that Sewell poses are just as relevant as ever, thirty years later. Eamon Flack’s production is powerful and moving. Highly recommended.

Rebecca Whitten | Australian Stage

It is epic, wild, paranoid and passionate, full of personal and political hope and despair.

John McCallum | The Australian

The Blind Giant Is Dancing is an electric, unmissable piece of theatre.

★★★★☆

Hannah Story | The Music

A brilliant cast brings life to this 30 year old play.

★★★★☆

Liam McLaughlan | ArtsHub

Flaws and all, Spielman, the play and the rest of the cast give great night out. Don’t miss.

Diana Simmonds | Stage Noise

Yael Stone and Dan Spielman interview - The Blind Giant is Dancing
Time Out