Wendy's final play, That Christmas in '75 is set in the working-class suburb of Unanderra during the hot summer of 1975, the play follows Thelma Anderson and her family as they prepare for Christmas against a backdrop of political upheaval and neighbourhood dramas. The Andersons, living in Housing Commission fibro cottages, are surrounded by migrant families – the Websters, the Papadopolouses, and the Rosettis – whose lives and secrets comically intertwine with their own.

As Gough Whitlam’s dismissal plays out on the radio, Thelma frets over lost budgerigars, her son Steve hides from responsibility in his backyard shed, and Dawn struggles to keep her family and Christmas preparations together. Meanwhile, mysterious bundles of chicken wire sculptures, secret dowries, and backyard gossip fuel a web of misunderstandings, alliances, and comic tensions among the neighbours.

Blending politics with the personal, That Christmas of ’75 is both a nostalgic snapshot of Australian suburban life and a warm-hearted, humorous look at resilience, class, and community spirit during a time of national uncertainty.

Director: Nick Kilpatrick (they/them)
Producer/Dramaturg: Steen
Stage Manager: Yianni Vorrias (he/him)
Technical: Nick Kilpatrick (they/them)
Set: Steen
Props: Steen & Cast
Publicity: Cathy Bates (she/they) & Nick Kilpatrick (they/them)

Thelma Anderson - Cathy Bates (she/they)
Dawn Anderson - Stacey Wales (she/her)
Steve Anderson - Lajos Hamers (he/they)
Elizabeth Webster - Melissa Sole (she/her)
George Webster - Brett Osseweyer (he/him)
Stamatina Papadopolous - Yvonne Walker (she/her)
Roula Papadopolous - Frances Wiedersatz (she/her)
Enrico Rosetti - Yianni Vorrias (he/him)
Radio Voice (recorded) - Steve Parsons (he/him)
Children’s Choir (recorded) - Lucy, Olivia, Jannah, Sophie & Anurag