In development
We are makers
NORPA makes theatre that tells the stories of regional Australia and presents those stories in unique locations and site-specific venues. Audiences flock to NORPA’s outstanding original productions, trusting in NORPA’s flair for great theatre experiences.
We support knowledge – First Nations artists telling First Nations stories.
We create content and ideas that bring places and spaces alive.
Explore new NORPA works currently in development:
First Aboriginal Olympian
A NORPA production, conceived and led by Rhoda Roberts AO.
about the work
The Bundjalung Nation pride themselves on their sporting prowess. Sport changed the Bundjalung peoples’ financial freedom and provided new horizons to dream – through sport anything is possible.
First Aboriginal Olympian is a new work in development, conceived and led by NORPA’s Creative Director First Nations, Rhoda Roberts AO. First Aboriginal Olympian is a Widjabul Wia-bul led theatre project, inviting a new audience into an unknown local history. A story of Cubawee ‘a place of full and plenty’ and of ‘Frank’ Francis Roberts, who represented Widjabul mob at the Olympic Games, the first Aboriginal person to obtain selection for the Games.
The project began its creative process in late 2022, with a community gathering of Bundjalung families with connections to Cubawee, and continues in 2024/2025 with My Cousin Frank.
Image: Kris Cook
Dinner Party at the End of the World
A NORPA project, led by Creative Directors Julian Louis and Heather Fairbairn
about the work
Inspired by the raw, powerful stories of the Lismore floods, Dinner Party at the End of the World is a multi-artist, multi-artform project reflecting stories of community and resilience.
This important and timely project will unfold throughout 2025, using theatre-making, community engagement, video, dance, and text to embed a multitude of voices into a future original work born from the aftermath of a natural disaster.
Research and development on this project began in June 2023 and July 2024 through intensive two-week workshops with key performers and creatives. This year’s creative activities will be filmed, becoming a key element in a new NORPA production.
Image: Vanessa Kellas