Celebrated hit 37 returns to kick off Melbourne Theatre Company's 2025 season

Melbourne Theatre Company’s 37 makes its much-anticipated return to the Southbank Theatre stage this January, following a smash-hit run in 2024 that captivated both critics and audiences.

Now previewing, 37 offering a hilarious and heartfelt look at community, identity, and the cost of winning, making this play a must-see for more than just footy fans.

Set within the era of Adam Goodes’ war cry and named after the number Goodes immortalised, 37 juxtaposes choreographed sequences of Marngrook, the Aboriginal game that inspired AFL and the modern game with the hilarity and at-times questionable banter found within sporting clubs around Australia.

Penned by Nathan Maynard – twice named Tasmanian Aboriginal Artist of the Year – and Directed and Co-Choreographed by Isaac Drandic (The Birthday Party, ABC’s Cleverman), this highly physical play is Co-Choreographed by the award-winning Waangenga Blanco, former senior dancer with Bangarra Dance Theatre.

37 asks ten actors to throw themselves into this world of blood and grit to get at the values that drive a national obsession. Winner of the 2024 AACTA Brian Walsh Award, Ngali Shaw (The Twelve) returns to reprise his role as one half of the Marngrook cousin duo, following his acclaimed performance in the 2024 Melbourne and Brisbane runs of the play and his breakout role in Melbourne Theatre Company’s 2023 production Jacky.

“After captivating audiences in 2024, we are thrilled to welcome 37 back to the Melbourne Theatre Company stage for its highly anticipated return in 2025, cementing its place as a ground-breaking piece of Australian theatre,” said says Melbourne Theatre Company’s Artistic Director & Co-CEO Anne-Louise Sarks.

“Originally commissioned through our NEXT STAGE Writers’ Program, this compelling Australian play delves into the heart of our nation’s love affair with AFL and presents the perfect setting for a story of community, identity and reconciliation. This next chapter of 37’s extraordinary theatrical journey is not to be missed.”

The production follows a disheartened football team in a small coastal town that has spent too long at the bottom of the ladder, as new hope arrives in the form of the Marngrook cousins, they’re match-fit and ready to bring home the team’s first flag in forever. 37 is a reminder that honest conversations are more than a ball toss.

Director & Co-Choreographer: Isaac Drandic | Featuring: Syd Brisbane, Mitchell Brotz, Samuel Buckley, Blake Draper, Thomas Larkin, Ben O’Toole, Eddie Orton, Anthony Standish, Ngali Shaw, Tibian Wyles | Set & Costume Designer: Dale Ferguson | Lighting Designer: Ben Hughes | Composer & Sound Designer: James Henry | Co-Choreographer: Waangenga Blanco | Voice & Text Coach: Matt Furlani | Assistant Director: Kamarra Bell-Wykes | Fight Choreographer: Lyndall Grant | Intimacy Coordinator: Isabella Vadiveloo