Mikaela Corrigan is a director, producer, and writer who brings bold, contemporary theatre to life. Following the success of Secret Girls Stuff and What Every Girl Should Know, she now turns to This Restless House—a retelling of Aeschylus’ Oresteia, spiralling into cycles of revenge, betrayal and destruction.  

As co-founder of Cats in the Cupboard Productions (with Nicholas Pavan), Corrigan focuses on female-driven stories, female characters and female truth.

“Every show that we do is female-centric. Our previous shows have been around bodily autonomy and reproductive rights. This Restless House is about the inner workings and private sphere of the female experience. At its core, the play explores what goes on behind closed doors in a family. While the original Oresteia is male-centric, Zinnie Harris’ version looks at the women, shifting the spotlight to Electra and Clytemnestra.”

For Corrigan, the heart of the story is family: “Genetics and blood on paper don’t make you a family. Being a family is a conscious choice. It requires consistent effort, like with friends or coworkers. A  family undone is not a family at all, just because you share blood.”

She admits the project has been personal. “This year I’ve had a lot of family issues. The show has been a way to delve into the psychology of what it means to be a mother or daughter. These characters clearly love each other, but there are big personalities, a lot of ‘my way or the highway’. That dynamic fascinated me, especially Clytemnestra, for whom mothering isn’t natural.”

Though rooted in Greek tragedy, the production is modern. “When you have a Greek tragedy,  there’s always the danger of heightened, over-the-top acting, so I’ve steered away from that.”  Audiences shouldn’t expect doom and gloom. The characters may be in turbulent waters, but Corrigan has created a spectacle of contrast: “It’s glittery, colourful and bright, almost to gloss over the fact that in truth, the family is pretty messed up.”

The creative duo has taken a unique approach to the stage. Set designer Pavan has created ‘the cake’, a 2.5 metre platform plastered with pages of Harris’ script. Corrigan also takes on the costume design for This Restless House. A lot of the costumes, many handmade, take inspiration from drag culture—including Aegisthus appearing in drag.

At just 23, Corrigan already has several acclaimed productions behind her and the Australia debut of This Restless House received a Critics’ Award for Theatre in Scotland. Initially she worried about directing older actors, but soon realised, “We’re all here for the same reason—we love the performing arts.”  

Rehearsals have run for six months and over that time, Corrigan has worked collaboratively with the team, creating a shared vision, giving them creative freedom and the liberty to make their own choices, especially around the characters the actors are portraying. Her care for the cast and creative team is evident. The decision behind the extended  rehearsal period was to avoid burnout. “This is an emotionally intense and often dark production. Actors aren’t just contractors—they’re are an extension of the work.”

Corrigan and Pavan are also the founders of Creative Cats Drama, a creative arts program designed for children (aged 5-12 years) that engages them in imaginative play and performance. She often brings those exercises into rehearsals, including inner-child and connection work: “It creates rapport and reminds everyone this is a safe space.” Her goal is to give them confidence to push themselves into uncharted territories of acting.

Reflecting on the process, she adds, “This show has taught me to be more resilient, to trust my instincts. There’s never a wrong answer but there’s always going to be the best answer. Whether that’s in the blocking or how you talk to an actor about the character, it’s always open for discussion. Empathy and resilience are essential when leading a cast of this size.”

Looking to opening night, Corrigan says, “I hope the audience leaves the show wanting to talk about it. The desire to unpack it. The show ends in a way that is completely up for interpretation, based on their history, background and experiences.”

Ultimately, Corrigan says her inspiration comes from one thing: “It’s all about connection. Directing lets me add those extra elements that say to the audience, ‘I see you.’ That’s the power of the arts— connection, and showing what art can do for the world.”

For more information visit Cats in the Cupboard Productions and for tickets to This Restless House go to Civic Theatre