Paul Kelly To Star In Merrigong Theatre Company's 2016 Season

Wollongong's Merrigong Theatre Company have launched their 2016 season tonight, a season who's centrepiece is Ancient Rain, starring singer-songwriters Paul Kelly and Camille O'Sullivan.

The combination of music and spoken word inspired by WB Yeats and other Irish poets, will play 26 - 29 October.

RAW Comedy 2016, presented by MICF, will bring up-and-coming comedians to Wollongong Town Hall on 18 February. On 26 February, Aboriginal Comedy Allstars, Matt Ford, Shiralee Hood, Kevin Kropinyeri and Andy Saunders, will strut their stuff. New circus work Landscape With Monsters was inspired by Illawarra's post-industrial landscape, a work by circus group Circa, as led by director Yaron Lifschitz, and local Illawarra artists, which runs 17 - 20 March.

4000 Miles by Amy Herzog, winner of the 2012 Obie Award for Best New Play, runs 6 - 9 April, telling the story of a 21-year-old who moves in with his grandmother, only to discover more about himself and her than he expected. Irish play Swing runs 5 - 8 May, an ode to swing dancing, before the production tours NSW, Victoria, Queensland, ACT and Western Australia.

From 25 - 28 May, Daffodils by Rochelle Bright features remixes by Lips and Abraham Kunin, as well as a live three-piece band playing NZ pop-rock hits. Merrigong have commissioned Letters To Lindy by Alana Valentine, a look at the infamous Lindy Chamberlain and the 30 years worth of correspondence sent to her since her daughter's disappearance in 1980, 26 July - 6 August. The production will tour to Canberra, Nowra and Sydney.

Never Did Me Any Harm by award-winning choreographer Kate Champion will play 12 & 13 August, exploring modern parenthood. From 17 - 20 August, The Hansard Monologues: Age Of Entitlement examines Tony Abbott's government, Australia 44th Parliament, following 2013's hilarious The Hansard Monologues: A Matter Of Public Importance about Australia under the Labor Party.

On 24 September, Die Roten Punkte bring their new rock'n'roll show Super Musician to Wollongong. Mother by Daniel Keene, inspired by Dorothy Hewett's work and Greek play Medea, was written for its star Noni Hazlehurst, 12 - 15 October, who plays a homeless, aging alcoholic living on the edge of the suburbs.

Productions from some of the best dance and theatre companies in the country will tour to the company as part of the season. Todd McKenney and Nancye Hayes bring their Ensemble Theatre production Six Dance Lessons In Six Weeks down to the south coast, 17 - 20 February. Sydney Theatre Company's Disgraced will play 8 - 11 June, and 2015's The Wharf Revue will play 6 - 10 Sep,and Sydney Dance Company will perform double bill CounterMove 17 & 18 June, before Bell Shakespeare's Othello makes its way to Wollongong, 13 - 17 September. Opera Australia bring The Marriage Of Figaro to the company 16 & 17 August, as adapted and directed by Michael Gow.

Meanwhile, Merrigong will continue to showcase emerging works through Make It @ Merrigong, a commission, development and production program, with Ruff - New Works In Progress showing on 19 May and then 6 October. The Vault Cabaret brings its combination of circus, music and comedy back down the south coast on 20 February, 14 May, 3 September and 19 November.

A collection of theatre and dance productions for children and families will play throughout the year.

For more information, or to purchase a season ticket, head to Merrigong Theatre Company's website.