OPENING JUNE 2012

§ Old Man, by Matthew Whittet (Belvoir | Belvoir Street Downstairs, Surry Hills) — Daniel wakes up. Something is missing. The phone is not working, and the kids’ toys are not in their usual spot under the television. In fact, his wife and children seem to have disappeared. 7 Jun–1 Jul.

§ The Unspeakable Itch, by Kate Smith & Drew Fairley (Darlinghurst Theatre, Potts Point) — Matt and Bec have been married for seven years... and we all know what that means. 8 Jun–8 Jul.

§ The Histrionic (Der Theatermacher), by Thomas Bernhard, translated by Tom Wright (Sydney Theatre Company | Wharf 1, Walsh Bay) — Utzbach. A town with 280 human inhabitants, a pig population of slightly more and a pub-cum-theatre named The Black Hart. It’s a venue that could not be more different to the glittering Gaspoltshofen where Bruscon – an actor often described (by himself) as a national treasure – once performed to an adoring audience of 830. 15 Jun–28 Jul.

§ Entertaining Mr Sloane, by Joe Orton (New Theatre, Newtown) — It may be Swinging 60s London, but out in dreary lace-curtained suburbia, middle-aged Kath is lonely and desperate.  At the local library she meets ‘Mr Sloane’, a charming and beautiful young man with a murky past, and invites him back home to take up residence in the spare room. 19 Jun–14 Jul.

§ Porn.Cake, by Vanessa Bates (Griffin Independent & Michael Sieders | Stables Theatre, Kings Cross) — Ant & Annie are a couple. So are Bill & Bella. Both are frighteningly close to middle age. A deliciously funny exploration of love and sex in the modern world. 20 Jun–14 Jul.

§ Skylight, by David Hare (Ensemble Theatre, Kirribilli) — In a cold flat in London, Kyra has an unexpected visitor. Tom is a figure from her past, her ex-boss, ex-confidante and ex-lover. Tom has come to revive the skeletons in their closet … But has Kyra moved on? 21 Jun–28 Jul.

§ Accidental Death of an Anarchist, by Dario Fo (Epicentre Theatre Company | Zenith Theatre, Chatswood) — In 1969 the anarchist Giuseppe Pinelli fell (or was thrown) from the fourth floor of a police station in Milan. In Dario Fo's outlandish version of events, Pinelli or 'The Maniac' runs wild in a world where police authority, legal logic and bureaucracy warp and spiral out of control. 22–30 Jun.

§ Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller (Belvoir | Belvoir Street Upstairs, Surry Hills) — Willy Loman is feeling his age. He and his wife Linda are struggling to make their mortgage repayments. The company he works for is branching out in new directions and it looks like he’s about to be left behind. When his university drop-out son, Biff, moves back home after years of drifting, old tensions rise to the surface. 23 Jun–12 Aug.