Co-producer of the new Steel Magnolias production Alex Woodward says Wollongong’s appetite for top-tier theatre made it an easy choice for the Aussie tour. Photo: James Terry.
Mere days after tickets to a new production of Steel Magnolias went on sale, they were already selling like hot cakes.
In a six-city run otherwise made up of capitals, Wollongong is the exception — and producers say that’s no accident.
The beloved story of laughter, loss and the unshakeable bonds between six southern women returns in a dazzling new Australian production, directed by Lee Lewis and touring nationally from April 2026. And when it came to choosing where this tour would land, Wollongong quickly stood out.
“You’re lucky in Wollongong — you have a state-of-the-art facility and a theatre company that really wants to bring quality professional theatre to the region,” co-producer Alex Woodward says. “Merrigong has a great subscriber base and a public that has historically wanted high-calibre programming.”
It’s not Woodward’s first time at IPAC and won’t be his last. He was part of the team that brought The Woman in Black to Wollongong in 2024, and will be back in September 2026 with Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of)
“Coming to IPAC with The Woman in Black was a great experience,” he says. “The audience is so generous.”
Steel Magnolias is an iconic story that has made generations laugh, cry and fall in love with six extraordinary southern women.
The play originally opened in Australia in 1988 featuring a cast which included Maggie Dence, Nancye Hayes, Melissa Jaffer, Genevieve Lemon, Pat McDonald and Nicole Kidman making her professional stage debut.
Written by Robert Harling and directed by Lee Lewis, this dazzling new Australian revival of Steel Magnolias marks the first time the play has toured the country in many years.
Woodward says bringing it back felt overdue.
“This is a story that has captured the hearts of so many families, across multiple generations,” he says. “It’s lovely when you can put on a theatrical show that has an intergenerational appeal. I think for so many people watching Steel Magnolias as a shared experience feels like coming home.”
Set almost entirely inside Truvy’s beauty salon, the play invites audiences into a small southern town where the local women gather to swap gossip, navigate life’s highs and lows, and offer support that’s as unwavering as their perfectly set hair.
From weddings and babies to heartbreak, health scares and loss, the characters’ resilience, humour and fierce loyalty give the story its lasting emotional power.
“It’s a heartwarming tale that everyone can connect to in different ways and for different reasons,” Woodward says.
This new production brings together Lewis — whose acclaimed direction of Shirley Valentine made her a natural fit — and composer and sound designer Brady Watkins, along with a soon-to-be-announced cast of six powerhouse actors. Woodward promises “household names”, with the full ensemble to be revealed in February.
In the meantime, the early ticket surge suggests Illawarra audiences are more than ready to welcome the beloved show. And they won’t have to wait long for more interstate theatre to reach the coast.
“We’ve had a wonderful response already, and we’re really excited to bring this show to IPAC,” Woodward says. “Later this year we’re also bringing Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of). Three shows over three years, we do really like IPAC.”
Steel Magnolias comes to IPAC from 3 to 11 June 2026 — book via Merrigong.
