This Christmas, fall in love with a brand-new Australian story
This December, New Ghosts Theatre Company (NGTC) is bringing a little love, laughter and festive magic to Sydney with the world premiere of All The More Reason, a brand-new Australian Christmas romantic comedy by Jack Kearney.
Tying a brilliant bow on the Old Fitz Theatre’s knockout 2026 season, the production reunites Kearney with director Lucy Clements (Artistic Director of the Old Fitz) and NGTC following their acclaimed 2025 collaboration, the award-nominated Born on a Thursday.
As the current custodians and managing company of the Old Fitz Theatre, NGTC continues to champion exceptional new Australian writing, cementing the venue’s reputation as a vital home for emerging voices and exceptional independent theatre. Set across eighteen years in Sydney, London and the South Coast of New South Wales, All The More Reason is a sharp, big-hearted Christmas rom-com about friendship, ambition, unfortunate timing and the strange hope that people might yet become their best selves.
Albert and June’s first meeting does not go to plan. But every six years, on the 23rd of December, Albert, June, India and Remy find themselves back in each other’s lives – older, not necessarily wiser, and still trying to work out whether time makes relationships stronger or simply gives everyone better excuses. Inspired by the sweeping romance, irresistible nostalgia and deliciously improbable coincidences of beloved romantic comedies, the play takes audiences on a journey through almost two decades of love, friendship, heartbreak and second chances.
“When Jack and I met working on Born on a Thursday last year, we had no idea we’d be embarking on another creative adventure before that show had even reached the stage. Eighteen months later, All the More Reason has become the most extraordinary labour of love, written specifically for four of our favourite actors, and bringing back together our dearest collaborators from that original team.” – Lucy Clements (director)
“I wanted to write something that felt distinctly Australian, but also equal parts contemporary and nostalgic. More than anything, I wanted to write a play about friendship. About the people who love us through our different incarnations, and theways platonic love can be every bit as sustaining as the romantic kind. All the More Reason is a romantic comedy, certainly… But it’s also just a play, standing in front of an audience, asking them to understand that we don’t all grow up and out at the same clip. As the immortal Paul Kelly put it, ‘You know and I know that love never runs on time.’” – Jack Kearney (playwright)
Clements has assembled a stunning team to close out the year with, including a cast of some of the country’s finest emerging talent: Harry Gilchrist (who most recently made his WA professional debut in Black Swan State Theatre Company’s The Almighty Sometimes), JK Kazzi (who in 2025 played the titular role in Bell Shakespeare’s Henry V, before dazzling Fitz audiences this year as Danny in Danny and the Deep Blue Sea), Madeline Li (star of Bell Shakespeare’s 2025 Romeo & Juliet, and recently seen on the Fitz stage as Masha in Three Sisters), and Emma Wright (best known for her work with Sport for Jove in productions of As You Like It and Isolde & Tristan).
“We set out to make something that would give both our artists and audiences a light and wondrous Christmas experience, but in a twist worthy of any great rom-com, somewhere along the way, we were the ones who fell head over heels in love. With the story, with its characters, and with the opportunity to create something far more meaningful than a simple festive comedy. I’m also fairly convinced we’ve made Australia’s first original Christmas rom-com for the stage (and no one’s managed to prove me wrong yet!), which feels like a pretty wonderful little contribution to our country’s theatrical canon.” – Lucy Clements (director)
All The More Reason is a play for anyone who’s ever believed in love at first sight, waited for a grand romantic gesture, fallen for the wrong person at the wrong time, or wondered what might have happened if they’d made a different choice.
For the hopeless romantics. The cynics. The ones who believe in soulmates. And the ones who’d never admit it.
PRODUCTION INFORMATION:
ALL THE MORE REASON by Jack Kearney
DATES: 4 – 20 December
TIMES: Tues-Fri 7pm, Sat 2pm & 7pm, Sun 5pm
LOCATION: Old Fitz Theatre – 129 Dowling St, Woolloomooloo NSW 2011
BOOKINGS: www.oldfitztheatre.com.au/all-the-more-reason
TICKETS: $34.50 – $86
RUN TIME: ~100 minutes
CONTENT WARNINGS: Strong language, adult themes and sexual references, references to IVF, references to death
PRODUCTION COMPANY: New Ghosts Theatre Company; PLAYWRIGHT: Jack Kearney; DIRECTOR: Lucy Clements; PRODUCER: Emma Wright; STAGE MANAGER: Justin Li; PRODUCTION MANAGER: Izzy Morrissey; SET DESIGNER: Soham Apte; COSTUME DESIGNER: Rita Naidu; COMPOSER &SOUND DESIGNER: Sam Cheng; LIGHTING DESIGNER: Veronique Benett; CAST (of 4): Harry Gilchrist, JK Kazzi, Madeline Li, Emma Wright
