Created by Nathan Harrison. In association with Old Fitz Theatre & Merrigong Theatre Company
Inviting, calm and educational, this is a theatrically lyrical birdsong in itself
Reviewed by Justin Clarke
Old Fitz Theatre, Woolloomooloo
Until 6th September, 2025
Tickets: https://griffintheatre.com.au/whats-on/birdsong-of-tomorrow/
Type: Griffin Lookout, Aviary Passion, Educational
If you liked: David Attenborough documentaries, short & poignant reflections, birds
I doubt you often think much about birds in your day-to-day existence, unless you’re an Avian veterinarian or an Ornithologist that is. Theatre-maker and amateur birdwatcher Nathan Harrison makes the case that we, in fact, should think about them a lot more. Not just in terms of the longevity of their existence on earth, but more so their ability to adapt, to survive, and, most importantly, to sing.
Harrison’s Birdsong of Tomorrow is a heartfelt, educational deep dive into the existence of the aviary dinosaurs that still roam the world – both the flying and the flightless. Beyond the feathery friends at its centre, Birdsong is a layered bit of existentialism about humanity’s continuing impact on the world around us, whilst also being an exploration of Harrison’s contradictory fears of change and permanency.
It may sound like there’s a lot going on here, but it’s Harrison’s structure is evenly spaced out, told with an exceptional calm, without being didactic nor bogged down with too much scientific terminology. Together with director Emma McManus, Harrison sweeps through a paralleled use of slideshows to weave together stories of friendship, of loss, of caring for stolen land, of extinction, and how the modern day chicken came to be.
Birdsong invites us to breathe in and keep a grounded presence – it is an hour though so please breathe still. It’s not only beguilingly educational, it’s also bitingly funny. Anecdotes about the iconic Australian bin chicken will have you thinking twice about our rubbish picking jabs at them, whilst Harrison also gives a passionate, insistent reminder that birds are in fact dinosaurs. In fact, every discussion Harrison has around birds is passionate. Not only that, it’s infectious!
I couldn’t help but think back to comments made of late about birdsongs in my life: how a kookaburra’s laugh is nice to hear but annoying in the morning, the irritation at the wailing from a Bush stone-curlew of an evening. Theatre that asks you to sit and reflect, resulting in you actually doing the reflecting, is ultimately an effective piece of work to me. I’ll still keep my springtime prejudices towards magpies though. Speaking of which, get your helmets ready people.
Clare Britton, Troy Reid, and Solomon Thomas’ video and production design gives Birdsong its warm, inviting visual aesthetic, whilst Tom Hogan adds layers of sensory envelopment through an evocative sound design.
…a piece of theatre that asks for one hour of your time to sit, to pause and simply be in the space together
Two projectors of a bygone age sit on top of stacked books, and shelving – Saint Clair’s soft, pastel lighting design giving the space depth. An overhead light projector is used to layer multiple drawings of birds on top of each other, whilst Harrison also clicks through a vintage slide projector opposite. Elegantly simple hand drawn images of birds of all varieties shuffle their way onto the projector screen, whilst Harrison’s grounded and still demeanour gives the piece weight.
This is a piece of theatre that asks for one hour of your time to sit, to pause and simply be in the space together. Share in a reflection on what exists in our lives – be it friends, family or, yes, even birds – whilst also questioning what nature will sing when our time has ended. What will others sing of us, and what will the birds be left singing when our pervasive existence has taken flight?
Theatre Thought: Harrison reflects on which birds represent the loved ones in his life. Which birds represent your loved ones best?
Cast and Creative Team
Director Emma McManus
Composer & Sound Designer Tom Hogan
Video & Production Designers Clare Britton, Troy Reid, Solomon Thomas
Lighting Designer Saint Clair
Stage Manager Madelaine Osborn
With Nathan Harrison
In association with Old Fitz Theatre & Merrigong Theatre Company
