Malthouse Theatre has worked around pandemic restrictions for two years, with light-hearted outdoor fare and the dark, immersive theatre experience Because the Night, which roamed throughout the company’s headquarters. With this new, somewhat blackly comic commission directed by Bridget Balodis, Malthouse is back on one of the indoor stages at last for its 2022 season opener.

Stay Woke gives audiences a much-needed laugh while also making them squirm, as playwright Aran Thangaratnam draws on his experience of being the brown person in the room. Born in Melbourne to Tamil Sri Lankan parents, he was particularly inspired by an awkward weekend away to the snow for his second play, as well as the intensity of family interaction during lockdowns.

Stay Woke Malthouse

Rose Adams, Kaivu Suvarna, Dushan Philips and Brooke Lee in Stay Woke, Malthouse, 2022. Photo © Phoebe Powell

This 90-minute comedy takes place over a few days in the living area of a Victorian ski-resort chalet. Niv, the black sheep of a wealthy Sri Lankan migrant family, is turning his life around, including becoming vegan. He’s invited his younger brother Sai, the golden child, for the weekend so they can...