i hate people; or timon of athens

I wonder men dare trust themselves with men

synopsis

Sick of your fake friends? So is Timon.

Be honest now. Do your friends suck? Not always. But, come on, sometimes…? Do they secretly love it when you screw up, fall down, miss out, give in? Do you do it to them…have you? What’s it worth, any of it? Friendship? Loyalty? Love? If it were made of gold, what would it weigh?

Well…Timon has it all…the cash, the cache, the companions, and a heart of gold. But that’ll never last, you know the story! And when it all goes up in smoke, so does everyone around him. One friend tried to warn him, but who listens to the pessimist? We all hate a misanthrope.

But we hate ingratitude more. And nothing burns like betrayal. Alone and enraged, Timon strips himself bare, runs from the world, curses the city, and revels in exile. And wouldn’t you know it…digging in the dirt for a scrap of food…finds more wealth than he ever had before, just lying under the earth in a barren field. What will he do with it this time, being generous never paid off, so what’s the opposite??

Shakespeare’s Timon of Athens is a black comedy dressed up as a Greek tragedy, an hilariously dark, joyfully brutal and very modern immorality tale. Dickens’ borrowed from it, Marx built a new world order out of it, our contemporary age sits squarely in its sights – and it gives you, the playgoer, an extraordinary opportunity…

…to watch a Shakespeare play where you don’t know what happens next, have no idea how it ends, and will be surprised at every turn.

PRODUCTION DETAILS

Season dates:
12-15 June, 2025 - Seymour Centre
23-24 Jan, 2024 - Blue Mountains Theatre, Springwood
6-21 Jan, 2024 - Everglades Gardens, Leura - SOLD OUT SEASON
Written by: William Shakespeare and Tom Middleton
Adapted by: Damien Ryan and Margaret Thanos
Director: Margaret Thanos
Associate Director: Jess Zlotnick
Cast:
Mike Booth, Lib Campbell, Deborah Galanos, Jake Harvey, Apsara Lindeman, Lucy Lock, Jack Elliot Mitchell, Tasha O’Brien, Diego Retamales, Damien Ryan, Jake Speer and Joseph Tanti (2025)
Matt Abotomey, Mike Booth, Lib Campbell, Eleni Cassimatis, Deborah Galanos, Jake Harvey, Lucy Lock, Ava Madden, Tasha O’Brien, Diego Retamales, Damien Ryan and David Soncin (2024)
Set Design: Rose Montgomery
Lighting Design: Saint Clair (2025) Ruth Lowry (2024)
Composer: Angus Evans
Costume Design: Aloma Barnes
Assistant Costume: Lily Moody (2024)
Fight Choreography: Diego Retamales
Intimacy Coordinator: Cristabel Sved (2025)
Stage Manager: Sophie Jones (2025) Isabella Milkovitsch (2024)
Assistant Stage Manager: Barry Brewer (2025)
Production Manager: Sorie Bangura
Producers: Rob Jago and Isabella Milkovitsch
Presented by: Sport for Jove

this Timon of Athens is one of the most thrilling productions of the year ★★★★★ Stage Noise, 2025

this explosive new production is among the best Shakespeares I’ve ever seen…[it] stands at the pinnacle of Shakespeare in Sydney this century ★★★★★ Sydney Morning Herald, 2024

the ensemble works beautifully together. There is a genuine rapport The Scoop, 2025

the cast were exceptional and played the humour, shrewdness, and seriousness of the characters very well…the ensemble moved well together and were wholly in-sync throughout the show Theatre Thoughts, 2024

a wonderful, lively performance that had me enthralled and amazed at the brilliant acting and clever script, staging and costumes Weekend Notes, 2024