Home is where the hurt is in She, Her & I

Three estranged sisters, a dying mother and a record-breaking Newcastle heatwave set the scene for She, Her & I, a darkly funny new play coming to the Playhouse at Civic Theatre Newcastle this November.

Presented by UpStage at the Playhouse and produced by Newcastle-based Cats in the Cupboard Productions, the production explores family, grief and the complicated ties that can bind people together, even when they struggle to get along.

It will close out the 2026 UpStage season with an original work by local playwright Mikaela Corrigan.

The story follows Nora, Clara and Lou, three sisters whose lives have taken very different paths.

Nora left Newcastle at 18 to study family law in Sydney, Clara moved away after falling in love, while Lou stayed in the family home, leaving university for reasons that remain unclear.

Now, with their mother nearing the end of her life, the sisters must reunite under one roof.

As the summer heat intensifies and a broken air conditioner makes the house even more unbearable, years of resentment and unresolved hurt begin bubbling to the surface.

Between questionable musical obsessions, nicotine cravings, awkward silences and old arguments, the sisters must confront the history they share and the things they may never fully understand about one another.

Following the company’s well-received 2025 production This Restless House, She, Her & I balances humour with a moving exploration of vulnerability, loss and the challenges women face navigating family relationships.

The story also draws on the healing power of the ocean, suggesting that sometimes letting go is the only way to find a path back to each other.

She, Her & I will run at the Playhouse from 12–21 November 2026 as part of the UpStage at the Playhouse program. Tickets are available through the Civic Theatre Newcastle website.