FRESH: New Works

Hayman Theatre Company is proud to present FRESH: New Works, an exciting double bill showcasing the very best original student-written and directed theatre works from the past year.

This initiative celebrates the creativity of emerging artists studying Theatre Arts at Curtin University, providing talented student playwrights, directors, performers and designers with the opportunity to remount their original productions for a dedicated evening season this August. FRESH: New Works highlights the exceptional talent being developed within Theatre Arts, giving audiences the chance to experience new voices and original storytelling.

The 2026 season features two powerful and contrasting stories: a poignant drama set in rural Western Australia and an evocative historical retelling brought to life through movement and passion.

The works….

BITTERSWEET
Written and Directed by Bec Moore
Violet has a terrible feeling in her bones; Dannie feels a loss so deeply within him. As the sun sets, the two young strangers meet at what they both thought was just their special tree, the only tree on Violet’s Grandad’s farm in rural WA. Throughout the night their conversations circle the lonely tree and they start to realise they have more in common than they first thought, maybe more than they should… BITTERSWEET is a coming-of-age drama exploring how deeply rooted our mental health, grief, and loneliness can be.

JUANA LA LOCA
Written and directed by Annalisa Cicchini
Juana La Loca explores Queen Juana’s love and loss through Flamenco storytelling.
The 16th century Queen of Castile was given the title of the ‘mad Queen’ for her supposed ‘mad’ behaviour…
Was she mad? Or was she manipulated?

The Writer/Directors

BEC MOORE Writer and Director of BITTERSWEET
Bec Moore (her) is a Boorloo-based writer and theatre creative in her final semester studying Theatre Arts at Curtin University. As a writer and director, Bec aims to create work that explores mental health and identity, with a strong focus on empowering audiences to nurture their well-being. BITTERSWEET is Bec’s first play, with previous writing experience including screenwriting the RAZOR short film What if I Was Stuck? (2024) directed by Sharna Llyell and directing experience including assistant directing At Sea Staring Up (2025) directed by Helen Trenos and directing BITTERSWEET’S first season in 2025. On stage, her most notable performances include playing Rebecca Nurse in The Crucible directed by Helon Trenos (2026), her solo performance of 4:48 Psychosis (2026), and playing Olivia in Stand And Deliver at Perth Fringe Festival directed by Arthur Brown (2025). Finally backstage they have lighting designed for The Ritual Slaughter of Gorge Mastromas (2026) directed by Rachel McMurray, UnEarthly (2026) directed by Adam Mitchel at The Blue Room Theatre, and Final Two (2025) directed Adrijan Teddy Levis.

ANNALISA CICCHINI – Writer/Director/Choreographer/Performer of JUANA LA LOCA
Annalisa (she/her) is an actor, writer, director, and dancer based in Boorloo, currently studying Theatre Arts at Curtin University. With a strong foundation in Flamenco dance and theatre from an early age, she has cultivated a deep passion for movement theatre. In 2024, Annalisa wrote and directed her first Fringe World show, UFO, and has performed in multiple flamenco Fringe productions and tablaos with Danza Viva Spanish Dance Company.
She is also a frequent performer with Curtin’s Hayman Theatre Company, notably portraying Claudio Roe in Enron, directed by Katt Osbourne, a role that earned her Best Actress in a Play at the 2024 Finley Awards. Annalisa has recently returned from her second trip to Spain, where she spent time in Jerez de la Frontera, widely regarded as the heart of Flamenco in Andalusia. Here she took part in the city’s annual Flamenco festival, undertaking intensive training through multiple classes with flamenco maestros.