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theatre works, sean
donehue and nick waxman present

by sean donehue and nick waxman

Bearded.

8 - 18 JANUARY | THEATRE WORKS
About

by sean donehue and nick waxman

A NEW QUEER AUSSIE MUSICAL


"This joyous contemporary Aussie musical celebrates queer characters in the midst of Australia’s 2017 marriage equality debate." 


Bearded tells the story of Bet, whose father is a conservative political candidate, and Ace, her best friend, as they navigate family expectations, societal scrutiny, and the courage to be themselves. Set against a backdrop of fierce public debate, this musical explores the intimate, private struggles of two young people caught in the middle, each grappling with their identities in a world that demands they choose between loyalty and self-expression.


With a fresh, electric score and vibrant energy, Bearded captures the resilience, humour, and heartbreak of Bet and Ace’s journey as they seek love and acceptance. Forced to keep their true selves hidden, they juggle family loyalty and self-discovery in a way that’s both deeply personal and universally resonant. At once funny and poignant, Bearded celebrates the power of friendship, resilience, and the joy of living openly—even when the world seems set against it. This powerful new musical is a tribute to the bravery it takes to stand up, speak out, and love freely in a time of change and challenge.

VENUE

Theatre Works
14 Acland Street, St Kilda

DURATION

90 minutes

WARNINGS

Suitable for 12+
Coarse language, adult themes, sexual references, depictions of homophobia and discrimination, mental health themes, political and religious satire, substance use, intense language and conflict, exploration of LGBTQ+ identity and societal judgement, references to non-consensual acts.

ACCESSIBILITY

Theatre Works is a wheelchair accessible venue. A full access guide will be available closer to the date.

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Dates
DATES + TIMES

Wednesday 8 January 7:30pm (PREVIEW)
Thursday 9 January 7:30pm (OPENING)
Friday 10 January 7:30pm
Saturday 11 January 1:00pm
Saturday 11 January 7:30pm

Tuesday 14 January 7:30pm
Wednesday 15 January 7:30pm
Thursday 16 January 7:30pm
Friday 17 January 7:30pm
Saturday 18 January 1:00pm (COVER RUN: J Ridler as Bet, Declan Ryan as Ace)
Saturday 18 January 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

$45.00

CONCESSION*

$35.00

PREVIEW

$28.00

RUSH TIX**

$25.00

MOB TIX

$25.00

*Seniors, Student, MEAA, Health Care and Low Income card holders

**Limited to 20 tickets per performance

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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.

Tickets
CREDITS

CREATIVE TEAM

DIRECTOR
Nick Waxman (he/him)

MUSIC DIRECTOR
Sean Donehue (he/him)

CHOREOGRAPHER
Aadhya Wijegoonawardena (she/her)

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Will McKenna (he/him)

ASSOCIATE / DRAMATURGE
Alister Smith (he/him)

LIGHTING AND STAGE DESIGN
Tom Vulcan (he/him)

COSTUME DESIGN
Sophie Ness (she/her)

CASTING
Emma Waxman (she/her)

STAGE MANAGER
Jordan Smith (he/him)

PRODUCTION ELECTRICIAN
Oscar McGovern (he/him)

DANCE CAPTAIN
Nathan Mariniello (They/He)

ACE - Sean Donehue (He/Him)

BET - Bek Schilling (They/Them)

RICHARD - Anton Berezin (He/Him)

DAVID - Michael Lindner (He/They)

JANET - Michelle Fitzmaurice (She/Her)

KELLY - Charlie Jaz Abbott Higgins (They/Them)

HAILEY - Belle Parkinson (She/Her)

CRI$TA - Rachel Tunaley (She/Her)

AXEL - Teddy Burgess (He/Him)

CASEY – Alexander Tye (He/Him)

ACE COVER – Declan Ryan (He/Him)

BET COVER – J Ridler (They/She/He)

KELLY COVER – Riley Street (They/Them)

HAILEY COVER – Adeline Hunter (She/Her)

CRI$TA COVER - Thalia Osegueda-Santos (She/Her)

AXEL COVER – Oliver Clisdell (He/Him)

CASEY Cover – Chad Rosete (He/They)

DANCE CAPTAIN / ENSEMBLE - Nathan Mariniello (They/He)

ENSEMBLE – Jacqui Dwyer (She/Her)

ENSEMBLE – Lauchlan Mant (He/Him)

ENSEMBLE – Liimei Lim (She/Her)

Credits
MEET THE ARTIST -
Sean Donehue

In addition to being the composer and co-writer of Bearded, Sean Donehue is a session musician, vocalist and songwriter who regularly works with notable artists (incl. Anastacia, Em Rusciano), as well as for national televised events, Film and TV, and famed musical festivals. Sean is also a vocal director and lead vocalist of Sunshine and the Disco Faith Choir. In addition to being an awarded songwriter (American Song Contest, Unsigned Only) Sean is a co-founder and MD of Naarm based vocal group SONARIO and a sought after vocal coach for industry professionals. With roots in professional theatre (Opera Australia) Sean received a scholarship to The Australian Institute of Music and graduated with High Distinction by only age 19.

Meet the Artist
EXTRAS

CHECK BACK SOON FOR BACKSTAGE CONTENT

Extras
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