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
-
Australia’s latest it-girl, Lilian, and her struggling actor best friend, Jillian, 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 cancel culture. With Jillian by her side, it’s them and manifestation versus the world—or so Lilian thinks.
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, Lilian is forced to decide what matters most: her dreams of fame or her best friend?
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 2:15PM & 7:45PM
- sunday 5:15PM
-
Special Performance
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
Creatives
- Rachel Seeto
Assistant DirectorRachel Seeto
- Zack Lewin
DramaturgZack Lewin
- Hailley Hunt
Set and Costume DesignerHailley Hunt
- Christine Pan
Composer and Sound DesignerChristine Pan
- Frankie Clarke
Lighting DesignerFrankie Clarke
- Harrison Hall
Digital ArtistHarrison Hall
- Daniel Herten
Video DesignerDaniel Herten
- 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
