April 5th, 2026Aurora to bring Mara to life in St Kilda

Hepburn Springs’ Aurora Kurth, a critically acclaimed singer and actor, will bring the production of Mara to life. The actor will bring 10 characters to life while a live musician creates a richly layered, Foley-inspired soundscape that functions as both score and storytelling engine.
Mara is presented by Theatre Works and Machination Theatre Ensemble and will run from April 22 to May 2 at Theatre Works, 14 Acland Street, St Kilda.
Mara is a new reimagining of Charles Perrault’s fabled Cinderella and was written by Paris-based Australian playwright Hanna Pyliotis and is directed by theatremaker Megan Jones. The play refocuses the traditional lens in the Cinderella myth, positioning it from the stepmother’s perspective, revealing a woman trapped inside a story she never wrote.

A spirited, ambitious girl desperate to escape her prescribed destiny, marriage to a wealthy widower seems to promise a new beginning for Mara, but the fantasy quickly unravels. Families won’t blend, her husband vanishes, and she is left caring for a stepdaughter who will never love her. Exploring the emotional terrain of blended families and the complex bonds between parents and children, this powerful retelling is set in a crumbling home, haunted by broken promises.
Asking what happens when the fairytale breaks down and a woman is left holding the consequences, this production of Mara has been selected for the 2026 VCE Theatre Studies Playlist and is playing as a part of the By Theatre Works programming stream.
Bookings: www.theatreworks.org.au/2026/mara Inquiries: 9534 3388
Words & image: Contributed