AWAKE
Premiering at Bleach Festival
7-10 October, 2026
Both theatre show and ritual gathering, AWAKE invites audiences into an intimate, gently held space where they are given a front-row seat to the often hidden and surprising face of grieving. We follow the story of The Widow, and witness her meeting the challenges of the practical side of death, alongside her private experience of grief. We see her confronted by real moments, and escaping into imagined ones.
Supported by a small ensemble of players, and underscored by beautiful Irish music created live on stage by award-winning multi-instrumentalist Victoria Falconer (Greenroom Award Winner: Musical Direction My Brilliant Career MTC, Once Darlinghurst Theatre, Co-Artistic Director Hayes Theatre Sydney), audiences experience the many facets of grief and loss; from the awkward to the surprising, the heavy to the hilarious, the small to the absurd.
Combining storytelling, reflection and plenty of humour, this work places the audience in a unique configuration that allows them to be both in the action, and outside it. Pour yourself a whiskey. Grab a sandwich. You can bring your grief with you, or you can just bare witness to hers.
Video from Creative Development showing at HOTA Home of the Arts 2024,
by RAW MINT
“This story begins with loss.
No. That’s not the right word.
It begins with death.
An ending at the beginning”
Creative Team
Writer & Director: Lisa Smith
Musical Director: Victoria Falconer
Movement Director & Producer: Ainslee Palmer
Sound Designer: Jarrad Payne
Costume Designer: Jess Hansen
Set Consultation & Construction: Freddy Komp
The premiere of AWAKE is proudly supported by the EGC Arts Fund