THEATRE WORKS AND FRUIT BOX THEATRE PRESENT
Cruise
BY JACK HOLDEN | DIRECTED BY SEAN LANDIS | STARRING FRASER MORRISON
11 - 21 NOVEMBER | THEATRE WORKS
BY JACK HOLDEN | DIRECTED BY SEAN LANDIS | STARRING FRASER MORRISON
“Let’s make sure we're travelling so fast that the heat we generate when we re‑enter the sky will burn us up and paint the night with light.”
Nominated for four Sydney Theatre Awards including a win for Best Performance of a Leading Role in an Independent Production (Fraser Morrison), this sold out, five star “tour de force” (Stage Noise) makes its way to Naarm!
Backlit by the clubs of London’s Soho, Michael Spencer faces the music of his last night on Earth. Diagnosed with HIV in 1984, he's told by doctors that he has just four years to live. Determined, he decides his doomsday will be his biggest party yet. Sweat mixes with tears, and final dances turn into farewells. There’s a midnight countdown to his death but Michael … survives. With the gift of life, how can he go on living?
Cruise is an intergenerational monologue spanning four decades and over 20 characters, celebrating queer nightlife and paying tribute to a generation lost to the AIDS crisis.
The original season of Cruise was staged in 2025 at KXT on Broadway in association with bAKEHOUSE Theatre Co. The remounted production is presented in partnership with the Seymour Centre.
VENUE
THEATRE WORKS
14 Acland Street, St Kilda
DURATION
90 minutes
WARNINGS
References to Self Harm, References to HIV/AIDS Related Illness and Death, References to Homophobia, Depictions of Drug Use, Sexual Themes, Flashing Lights, Haze, Use of Herbal Cigarettes, Loud Music
ACCESSIBILITY
Theatre Works is a wheelchair accessible venue. A full access guide will be available closer to the date.
Explosives Factory is accessed via a flight of stairs and is not wheelchair accessible.
★★★★★ "A triumph of beautifully nuanced observations and compassionate storytelling" - Chad Armstrong, Cultural Binge
★★★★★ "It cries out to be seen more than once" - Diana Simmonds, Stage Noise
★★★★★ "Astonishing, captivating and transformative. This sold out season of Cruise deserved all the praise it received" - Justin Clarke, Theatre Thoughts
★★★★★ "Extraordinary" - Sophie Highmore, Spot On Sydney
★★★★.5 “Fabulously and irresistably entertaining" - Suzy Wrong, Suzy Goes See
★★★★.5 “This is a play full of joy" - Christine de Matos, ArtsHub
★★★★.5 “A masterclass in transformation" - Victoria Luxton, Stage Door Reviews
★★★★ “You won’t see a more agile 90 minutes of solo acting this year – or an indie production more deserving of a return season" - Jason Blake, Limelight
DATES + TIMES
Wednesday 11 November - 7:30pm (Preview)
Thursday 12 November - 7:30pm (Opening)
Friday 13 November - 7:30pm
Saturday 14 November - 12:00pm (Matinee)
Saturday 14 November - 7:30pm
Tuesday 17 November - 7:30pm ($30 Tickets)
Wednesday 18 November - 7:30pm
Thursday 19 November - 7:30pm
Friday 20 November - 7:30pm
Saturday 21 November - 12:00pm (Matinee)
Saturday 21 November - 7:30pm
Theatre Works has a lockout policy for latecomers. Please arrive at least 15 minutes early to ensure you don't miss out.
Refunds will not be issued to latecomers.
TICKETS
FULL PRICE
CONCESSION*
PREVIEW
$48.00
$38.00
$30.00
*Seniors, Student, MEAA, Health Care and Low Income card holders
Shows in the WITH THEATRE WORKS stream align strongly our values and missions - these works we co-produce and co-present with independent artists and/or companies. Projects within this stream receive significant producing, marketing, PR and production support in addition to free use of the venue and a generous box office split.
CREDITS
WRITER
Jack Holden
DIRECTOR
Sean Landis
PRODUCER
Maybelline San Juan
CONSULTING PRODUCER
Madeleine Gandhi
MOVEMENT DIRECTOR
Jeremy Lloyd
ORIGINAL SET DESIGNER / SOUND AND COSTUME DESIGNER
Chelsea Wheatley
LIGHTING DESIGNER
Tom Hicks
SET DESIGNER
Ruby Jenkins
ACCENT AND DIALECT COACH
Linda Nicholls-Gidley
STAGE MANAGER
Caity Cowan
ASSOCIATE SOUND DESIGNER
Sam Cheng
PRODUCTION CINEMATOGRAPHER
Anna McGirr
PRODUCTION PHOTOGRAPHER
Abraham de Souza
With Fraser Morrison
MEET THE ARTIST
SEAN LANDIS
Sean Landis is a director and dramaturg with a focus on queer dramaturgies, new writing and community engaged practice. His recent credits include the four-time Sydney Theatre Award nominated Cruise by Jack Holden (KXT on Broadway, 2025) and the Time Out Arts and Culture Award winning Back to Birdy by Zach Bui (The Imperial Hotel, 2024). In 2022, he founded the RIPE Development Program to build a pipeline for original queer theatre from conception to fruition. For this work, he has been recognised as a finalist in the ACON Honour Awards and named in Out for Australia’s “30 Under 30.”
