Looking for Alibrandi
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 in 2022, where Vidya Rajan’s AWGIE nominated adaptation joined three generations of women in a passionate, heart wrenching, and unmissable rendering of the Australian classic. Now, it returns, 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.
★★★★1/2
A ridiculously enjoyable sunbeam of a production.Arts Hub
Pre-show Tombolo with Mama Rosa - with prizes!
This is a free event for those who have tickets to Looking for Alibrandi on Wednesday 27 August - very limited capacity!
6.15pm arrival for a 6.30pm (sharp) start.
Level 3, The Hedberg
Register is free but essential as places are limited.
Register here.
Post-show event with Mama Rosa
Join us post show to meet the director of Looking for Alibrandi, Stephen Nicolazzo and enjoy drinks, nibbles and music at the Theatre Bar on Level 2 of The Hedberg – all welcome!
Aperol Spritz
Born from seven years of passion and experimentation by the Barbieri brothers in 1919, Aperol is the iconic heart of the Spritz. Light, zesty, and unmistakably Italian—it's your perfect pour.
*Extra offerings do not attract a Subscriber or Member discount.
Chanella Macri | Josie
Amanda McGregor | Christina / Sera
Jennifer Vuletic | Nonna / Margaret Throsby / Sister Bernadette
Riley Warney | Jacob Coote
Chris Asimos | Michael
Ashton Malcom | Ivy / John Barton
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
Purchase a Wine and Cheese Package and arrive early to enjoy exclusive access to your very own VIP area*. Available 90 minutes before the show, these private spaces are perfect for relaxing, catching up with friends, and soaking up the pre-show atmosphere — all while enjoying a delicious selection of David Johnstone & Associates wines and Hill Street cheese. Please note, wine and cheese packs are designed for two.
Choose from the below:
David Johnstone and Associates wines
Richmond Park Estate, Coal River Valley, TAS
- Richmond Pinot Gris
- Richmond Rose
- Richmond Pinot Noir
Hill Street cheese packs include:
- Island Brie
This is the mother of all soft cheeses, with a creamy, voluptuous flavour and edible, velvety white rind. - Manchego
A semi-hard cheese made from sheep’s milk in the La Mancha region of Spain. It’s known for its distinctive herringbone rind, nutty flavour, and buttery texture. - Little Blue Lake Tasmanian Blue
A smooth creamy blue cheese designed to appeal to all palates. Aged for several months to enable a good depth of veining and flavour to develop.
Quince Paste
Please note, cheese selection may change depending on availability.
*Extra offerings do not attract a Subscriber or Member discount.


Stalls and Dress Circle
Premium | Full $99 | | Concession $89 |
A Reserve | Full $89 | | Concession $79 |
B Reserve | Full $79 | | Concession $69 |
C Reserve | Full $69 | | Concession $59 |
Gallery |
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Premium | Full $89 | | Concession $79 |
A Reserve | Full $79 | | Concession $69 |
B Reserve | Full $69 | | Concession $59 |
C Reserve | Full $59 | | Concession $49 |
Limited 30 Under 30 / Industry Allies / Student Members $30
Want to know more about these affordable ticket initiatives?
Learn more here.
*all bookings will incur a $5 transaction fee
140 mins (including interval)
- Recommended for ages 14+
- Smoke and Haze Effects
- This production contains coarse language, stage violence, suicide, sexual references, descriptions of domestic violence and discriminatory language. If these topics effect you, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14
For wheelchair and accessible seating enquiries, please contact our box office on (03) 6146 3300 or boxoffice@theatreroyal.com.au