At The Living Room Theatre, we’re delighted to close out the year by welcoming Backstage Music into our newly opened home at 21 Shepherd Street for MIDNIGHT STATIC—a bold, provocative program that expands the edges of contemporary sound, noise, and theatre. This marks one of the first major performances to activate our space, and we’re thrilled to offer a rare gem for contemporary music-making: a grand piano in an intimate, responsive venue designed for fearless work.

Backstage Music closes out the year with MIDNIGHT STATIC, a provocative and exciting program that pushes the boundaries of contemporary sound, noise, and theatre. We are thrilled to be taking over the newly opened Living Room Theatre in Marrickville, capitalizing on a rare and exciting asset: a grand piano in a dynamic, intimate new venue! This is where masterpieces collide with fearless new work, creating a soundscape that is both virtuosic and wonderfully absurd.

We invite you to experience a blend of intense virtuosity, sonic extremes, and compelling theatricality. The night begins by immersing you in the evocative and atmospheric sound world of a contemporary classic: Ronan Apcar performs George Crumb’s A Little Midnight Music. Following this, prepare for pure sonic intensity as Mitch Riley delivers breathtaking vocal gymnastics with Georges Aperghis’s Récitations, exploring the full, hyper-extended range and theatricality of the human voice.

The program also champions emerging talent: Aidan Eccleshall leads a cohort of young artists in a section dedicated to bridging the past and future. Expect mind-bending explorations of sound and silence from John Cage, alongside radical new pieces commissioned for this event. Don’t miss the ultimate blend of sound and satire from our student groups, including the presentation of the theatrical absurdity: “My Pet Rock,” a piece about a young person receiving therapy from a giant pet rock!

MIDNIGHT STATIC is an invitation to witness the potent blend of noise, recitation, and pure sonic theatrics in one of Sydney’s most exciting new performance spaces. We encourage booking early as space at the Living Room Theatre is intimate.