The beloved Australian classic novel and groundbreaking film comes alive on stage.
Josie Alibrandi is in her final year of high school. Whip-smart and aspirational, she is a third-generation Italian teenager and scholarship kid, with the shadow of a family curse and a penchant for rule-breaking. Juggling grades, boys, and the claustrophobia of an overbearing nonna and saintly mother, Josie’s life becomes tangled in the webs of class, identity, and family history as she finds her place in a changing world.
Iconic novel and cult movie, Looking for Alibrandi is the honest and empowered portrait of 1990s Mediterranean culture that spoke for the first time about systemic racism in Australia from a migrant perspective. It defined a generation and to this day resonates with those caught in the stranglehold of identity and othering in this country.
Award winning director Stephen Nicolazzo (Loaded, Merciless Gods) brought Melina Marchetta’s best-selling novel to the stage for the first time, where Vidya Rajan’s AWGIE nominated adaptation joined three generations of women in a passionate, heart wrenching, and unmissable rendering of the Australian classic. With live passata sauce making, traditional Italian music and a soundtrack of Australian pop classics, Looking for Alibrandi is a vibrant theatrical experience full of passion, laughs, and beauty.
Save $7 per ticket when you buy 4 or more A-Reserve tickets*
Save $5 per ticket when you buy 4 or more Premium tickets*
*Offer valid for A-Reserve & Premium seating only when purchasing 4 or more tickets in one transaction. Must select “Group of 4+” after selecting your seats via the drop-down menus under the seating map. Subject to availability. Advertised savings based on the full-price Premium ticket. Not valid for previously purchased tickets. Transaction fee applies.
"Broad, Bold, Playful Comedy"
"This comically and beautifully honest look at cultural identity, class and trauma is brought to vivid life… in this ridiculously enjoyable sunbeam of a production."
"Rajan’s play probes deeply into the generational triptych at the centre: three women, three lives, one heartbeat"
Director Stephen Nicolazzo
Writer Vidya Rajan (based on the novel by Melina Marchetta)
Set and Costume Design Kate Davis
Lighting Design Katie Sfetkidis
Sound Design Daniel Nixon
Musicians Rosa Voto and Renato Vacerca Tarantella
Choreography Rosa Voto
Dialect Coach Paulo Bongiovanni
Cultural and Language Consultant Lucia Mastrantone
Chanella Macri
Lucia Mastrantone
Jennifer Vuletic
Ashton Malcom
Riley Warner
Chris Asimos
Wednesday Jun 11 2025 11:00am (Special Q&A following performance. TBC)
Friday Jun 13 2025 at 11:00:00am (Special Q&A following performance. TBC)
$36.50 ea (Standard Price)
1 teacher free for every 20 students booked.
Secondary School Student Ticket: Available exclusively for high school students, during evening and weekend performances. A valid student ID must be presented upon scanning to gain entry. Please note that any accompanying teacher or parent attending must purchase a standard ticket.
Curriculum Links and Resources
Download Looking for Alibrandi Curriculum Links
Download Teacher’s Notes
Online Education Bookings
1 teacher free for every 20 students booked.
To reserve your booking, select the ‘Education Bookings’ button and confirm the number of tickets, prices and contact details. Please note you will not be asked to pay for your booking at this stage.
You’ll receive a booking invoice of a 25% non-refundable deposit with a ‘payment due’ date. It is your responsibility to forward the tax invoice to your Financial Officer for payment by the due date.
For more details about How to Book, Excursion & Accessibility For Education
In English
Wheelchair accessible
Companion Card accepted
Assistive Hearing system available (FM)
Saturday 14 June at 2pm
Auslan (Australian Sign Language) is used by the Deaf community in Australia. The aural cues that are essential to the storytelling and the theatrical experience are translated into sign language by Auslan interpreters discreetly positioned on a platform close to the stage for comfortable viewing by Deaf patrons. Patrons requiring this service, please select the section closest to the interpreter to ensure good sightlines.
Find out more about accessibility at Riverside Theatres.
$6.95 Transaction Fee applies.
The authorised ticket agency for this event is Riverside Theatres.
Only tickets purchased by authorised agencies should be considered reliable. If you purchase tickets from a non-authorised agency, you risk that these tickets are fake, void, or have previously been cancelled. Resale restriction applies.
Prices are correct at the time of publication and subject to change without notice. Exact prices will be displayed with seat selection. Children aged 0-18 months at the time of a performance may be seated on an adult’s lap free of charge. A valid ticket is required for all children over 18 months.
For more details, please refer to our Terms and Conditions.
Riverside Theatres acknowledges the Dharug people who are the traditional custodians of the land of Parramatta. We pay our respects to the elders past and present of the Dharug nation and extends that respect to other Aboriginal people visiting this site.