Griffin Theatre Company has had a very strong season thus far this year, with a number of standout productions. As part of their nomadic 2025 year, with their home venue under construction, they return to the Old Fitz Theatre, to premiere their production as a collaboration between themselves and Merrigong Theatre Company’s development program. 

The production interlaces stories of birds, who have roamed these lands since the dinosaurs, with a quasi-autobiographical story of Harrison, who tells of his grief having lost his friend Andrew. The play traverses a lot of ground and a lot of bird facts, with Harrison showing off his passion for every type of bird known to humanity, from their calls to their habitats. 

Harrison’s passion for birds is commendable and comes through clearly throughout the production. The audience is treated to a cacophony of birdsong, with Tom Hogan effectively deploying a variety of instruments and vocal techniques to immerse the audience in a vast soundscape. While the introductions to various birds are certainly interesting, they do begin to wear after a little while, resembling a university lecture at times. For those who are entranced by bird facts, the deep dive would certainly be welcomed but for those lacking the knowledge or passion of Harrison, it is easy to become a little lost. 

At the beginning of the production, Harrison introduces the work and attempts to link the destruction of the natural world to colonial violence, ableism, and heteronormativity among other things. This is perhaps where the production begins to fall apart a little as those links, although certainly present, are not explored or interrogated in great detail. The incredibly personal story of the subject’s relationship with Andrew is moving, but leaves the audience wanting more as not enough detail is presented to spark true engagement. The story of the birds and the story of Andrew ultimately feel like two fables which seek to converge but do not quite meet. 

With that said, this is an incredibly earnest production, and Harrison certainly endears himself to the audience with his authoritative delivery, which has enough nuance to also effectively convey the more emotional parts of the story. Harrison frequently breaks the fourth wall and while this endears him to the audience, it sometimes contributes to a slightly unpolished vibe (which is understandable given that the play is still a development work). Perhaps a character-based work, which allows the symbolism of the birds to sing out and reduces the need for fourth-wall breaking exposition, would be a way of mitigating this dilemma. Even so, Harrison manages most challenges very well, displaying great poise as an actor throughout the production. 

The illustrations are also gorgeous throughout, really elevating the theatrical experience. This is a story that is told through visuals and the projector-style aesthetic that is created is certainly charming.

Ultimately, this production comes across very much as a passion project of Harrison’s, with his love for birds and everything they represent shining through. The connections to bigger themes like connection and loss do not quite come through as smoothly, despite the poignancy of the story of Andrew. At its heart, this is a story about birds, and perhaps that is all it needs to be. Harrison is to be commended for the level of detail in his work and for his excellent delivery as this is a piece with a lot of heart and passion. For bird enthusiasts and those wanting to learn a little more about birds, this is certainly a piece of theatre you will not want to miss. 

Rating: ★★★

Birdsong of Tomorrow plays at the Old Fitz Theatre until 6^th September. For more information, click here. 

All photo credits: Lucy Parakhina