Surry Hills audiences will see The Jungle and the Sea return to Belvoir Theatre, bringing an award-winning family story of separation, survival and remembrance back to the Upstairs Theatre.
Award-Winning Work Returns to Surry Hills
Belvoir Theatre will bring The Jungle and the Sea back to its Surry Hills stage for a limited season at the Upstairs Theatre from 11 July to 2 August 2026.
Written and directed by S. Shakthidharan and Eamon Flack, the production follows the creative team behind Counting and Cracking and returns with a story shaped around family, memory and the lasting human cost of conflict.
The play follows Gowrie as she tries to protect her family when violence escalates in Sri Lanka. She sends her husband and one daughter to Australia for safety, while she and her two other daughters travel through the jungles of northern Sri Lanka in search of her estranged son.
The story asks how a family can find its way back to one another after being split apart, and how people carry grief, survival and remembrance through upheaval.
Family Story Sits at the Centre of The Jungle and the Sea
The Jungle and the Sea is drawn from real-life testimonies and shaped with elements from the Mahabharatha and Antigone. The production places one family’s experience at the centre of a broader story about loss, endurance and the search for peace after violence.
The work runs for about two hours and 50 minutes, including two intervals. Belvoir has listed a content warning for themes of war and trauma, sounds of artillery, haze and loud sound effects.
The production is co-produced by Kurinji and Lingalayam Dance Company. The cast includes Anandavalli, Prakash Belawadi, Emma Harvie, Nadie Kammallaweera, Shiv Palekar, Dushan Philips, Kalieaswari Srinivasan and Rajan Velu.
Music is by Arjunan Puveendran, with Indu Balachandran also listed among the musicians. Dale Ferguson is set and costume designer, Damien Cooper is lighting designer, Steve Francis is sound designer, Véronique Benett is original lighting designer, and Mehhma Malhi is assistant director.
Awards Add Context to Belvoir Return
The return season follows recognition at the 2022 Sydney Theatre Awards, where the production received awards for Best Mainstage Production, Best New Australian Work, Best Ensemble and Best Original Score of a Mainstage Production.
Those awards give the Surry Hills season added context, particularly for audiences familiar with Belvoir’s contemporary Australian works and long-form stage productions.
The season will be held at Belvoir Theatre, 25 Belvoir Street with performances scheduled across evenings and selected matinees.
Ticketing and School Access
Tickets are listed across several pricing categories. Full-price adult tickets range from $78 to $98, while other categories include seniors, concession, previews, 30-Down and student saver tickets. Student saver tickets are listed from $43 to $58, and preview tickets from $58 to $63.
The season includes preview sessions, a community night, special performances and school performances. Belvoir has also listed school access for Years 10 to 12, with curriculum links for Drama, English and English Extension 1.
A school performance is scheduled for 23 July 2026 and is set to be followed by a cast Q&A. Student tickets for school performances are listed at $25, with one complimentary teacher ticket for every 10 students booked.
With its family-centred story, award history and education access, The Jungle and the Sea gives Surry Hills audiences a returning theatre work shaped by memory, survival and the question of how people live after profound loss.
Published 29-May-2026
