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Little Women captures the essence of sisterhood, love and the pursuit of one's dreams. It is an enchanting musical that continues to resonate with audiences, reminding us of the enduring relevance of Louisa May Alcott's beloved novel.

Venue: Canberra REP Theatre

Date: 16 Oct - 18 Oct 2025

‘Farce at its finest…simply glorious.’ The Stage
Desperate times call for desperate measures…and with problems so desperately familiar, join with Antonia and Margherita as they navigate their own cost of living crisis!
‘The problems are desperately familiar…Fo-faced farce wears a broad smile and proceeds at breathtaking speed.’ Financial Times
An Amateur Production By Arrangement with ORIGIN (TM) Theatrical, on behalf of Samuel French Inc. - A Concord Theatricals Company

Venue: Canberra REP Theatre

Date: 20 Nov - 6 Dec 2025

A spectacular triple bill of the world’s best theatrical improvisers, supported by improvising actors from all over Australia. Watch one, two, or all three shows, on the one ticket.
7:30pm - A Cappella Musical directed by Lisa Lynn (UK)
A human orchestra derived from participants in workshops from the past few days, have been directed by UK special guest improviser, Lisa Lynn to accompany each other’s performances in a stage musical theatre play that is both fully improvised and without regular instrumentation. A feat only possible at festivals like this one, and only possible for you to see once!
8:25pm – Click by Inbal Lori (ISR) and Tim Orr (USA)
Two titans of international improv in jaw-droppingly good two-handed improvised theatre, based on projected photographs they will only see at the very moment they perform in front of them – photographs collected from general public and kept under guard by the management of this festival. See improvisation at a whole new level with this one
9:20pm – 4play presented by Mary Shelley’s Mothers – Rama Nicholas (AUS), Beatrix Brunschko (AUT), Nele Kießling (GER), and Maja Dekleva Lapajne (SLO)
4 are alive! 3 are happy. 4 are feminists. 2 are lovers. 3 feel alone. 1 just wants sex! What’s certain is that you are about to see 4 absolute powerhouses of international improvisation, all of whom are women, and none of whom have any trouble dealing with any topic. Bring a very open mind, but rest assured, whether you are woman, man, or define yourself in any other damn way you choose, you will leave empowered, artistically inspired, and more entertained than you could imagine.
Phew! This triple bill is like a whole festival in one night….., but have a look and see what Canberra International Festival has on Friday….., and Saturday…., and Sunday, right here at REP, (or Wednesday’s incredible Improvision Song Contest at Canberra Playhouse, or any night late at Smith’s Alternative)

Venue: Canberra REP Theatre

Date: 11 Dec - 11 Dec 2025

A spectacular triple bill of the world’s best theatrical improvisers, supported by improvising actors from all over Australia. Watch one, two, or all three shows, on the one ticket.
7:30pm – Fruit Bat directed by Nick Harriott (AUS)
Blue Mountains musician and theatrical improviser, Nick Harriott, leads a cast built from his workshop at this festival that trained actors to collaborate vocally without being able to see each other. Predominantly performed in darkness, enjoy this unique experience in improvised theatre.
8:25pm – The Bunch directed by Inbal Lori (ISR)
One of the world’s most talented improvisers, Inbal Lori proves that large groups of improvising actors, on stage at the same time, can collaborate in high quality, entertaining, and cohesive scenes, without creating a mess. Only the cast who learned the secrets of this unlikely promise during Inbal’s multi-session workshop intensive, “All In”, could enlighten you as to how they do it.
9:20pm – Dictionary of Moments directed by Jason Geary (AUS)
This isn’t your ordinary dictionary. Here, you won’t find dry definitions — instead, every word unlocks a moment from a story that brings its meaning to life.
One of this festival’s most loved directors and stage performers, Melbourne’s Jason Geary, who you might recognize as a regular actor from TV’s Thank God You’re Here, is known as a master of narrative, and in his festival offering, this year, he takes a deep dive, along with a cast drawn from workshoppers and the festival ensemble, to explode individual moments and give them their full worth.
Phew! This triple bill is like a whole festival in one night….., but have a look and see what Canberra International Festival has on Thursday….., and Saturday…., and Sunday, right here at REP, (or Wednesday’s incredible Improvision Song Contest at Canberra Playhouse, or any night late at Smith’s Alternative)

Venue: Canberra REP Theatre

Date: 12 Dec - 12 Dec 2025

It’s nearly Christmas and this is a ‘feel good’ triple bill of the world’s best theatrical improvisers, supported by improvising actors from all over Australia engaging in a magical group hug. Watch one, two, or all three shows, on the one ticket.
7:30pm – This Scene Was About directed by Tim Orr (USA)
One of the most internationally inspired show formats of the festival, this concept was created by Milanese improviser Fabio Maccioni, when he was a guest in Colombia, and now directed in Australia by and American, who is one of the most talked about improv instructors on the planet. And it’s going to be so nice, because it’s cast from his intensive workshop this week, where students learned, “emotional mirroring” and “reading scenes as a gift” whilst playing “characters who actually like each other”.
8:25pm – A Bouffon Christmas directed Daniel Orrantia Gomez (COL)
In possibly the most anticipated show of this festival, you will laugh yourself senseless and sometimes be aghast at the incredibly exaggerated theatrical style of Bouffon, from a physical theatre/clown master we’ve been trying to get to this event for years! See what happens to the comparative Christmas traditions of both Colombia and Australia, as Daniel and his ensemble cast transform it into something you never imagined either theatre or Christmas could ever be like.
9:20pm – Life. Refabricated. by Maja Dekleva Lapajne (SLO) and Norbert Sven Fö (EU)
Something just a little bit special. Uplifting performance art, observing and exploring the meeting points of theatre and dance improvisation, wandering off into clowning, enjoying sound and music making and, last but not least, refabricating life. All this stage endeavour is fuelled by close friendship and powered by passion for improvisation.
Life. Refabricated. is also an exquisite sensoric experience since it takes into account sight, sound, space, light, touch and sometimes due to closeness even smell. Life is way too wondrous not to experience it in many different ways!
Is it Christmas yet?! This triple bill is like a whole festival in one night….., but have a look and see what Canberra International Festival has on Thursday….., and Friday…., and Sunday, right here at REP, (or Wednesday’s incredible Improvision Song Contest at Canberra Playhouse, or any night late at Smith’s Alternative)

Venue: Canberra REP Theatre

Date: 13 Dec - 13 Dec 2025

A double bill of unmatched entertainment value, as the closing performances of Canberra International Improv Festival (aka Improvention) for 2025.
7:30pm – All At Once directed by Nick Byrne (Canberra)
A big cast version to suit closing night of this intriguing show concept that asks, “What if we could watch everyone who ever lived in your apartment over time, living their stories simultaneously, though in different dimensions, and invisible to each other?”. See the actors manage their use of the space when someone invisible stands between them and their lovers, or when they wish they could sit down on an already invisibly occupied lounge. Real relationships in a super-fun multidimensional melting pot. This festival’s Artistic Director thanks you with his most recent popular show format success performed in six nations in 2024 alone.
8:30pm -The Canberra Impro Challenge Grand Finale by the Festival Ensemble (Global)
They’ve been at it all week, in the Heats of our traditional sell-out closing performance of the Festival, 20 years old, this year! Those who have progressed to the Finale play hilarious comedy and theatre games. Only the best comedic improvisers from every state of Australia and 5 continents, compete to hold aloft the famous Speaking Staff trophy that proclaims the champion of this signature event. Cheer on Canberra’s bravest actors, playing right alongside the international and interstate gurus of this style of theatre - people they never even imagined meeting! You decide the scores for each side-splitting game and scene, so get loud and proud, and laugh every minute!
You’ll be in such a state after this one, you’ll need to wait 12 months before possibly laughing again.
It’s farewell from Canberra International Improv Festival for 2025, unless you drop over to Smith’s and try to sneak in to our all night closing karaoke party. This double bill is like a whole festival in one night….., but if you are seeing this ahead of time, have a look and see what Canberra International Festival has on Thursday….., and Friday…., and Saturday, right here at REP, (or Wednesday’s incredible Improvision Song Contest at Canberra Playhouse, or any night late at Smith’s Alternative)

Venue: Canberra REP Theatre

Date: 14 Dec - 14 Dec 2025