Following a successful run in Melbourne, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? arrives at Sydney Theatre Company with all its ferocity intact.

The classic modern drama exposes the volatile relationship between married middle-aged couple, Martha and George.

Set in a New England campus, George (David Whiteley) is a history Professor and Martha (Kat Stewart) the university president’s daughter. The play opens with the pair stumbling home from a late-night faculty party. They’re both drunk, Martha slightly more so—as George guides her. He’s ready for bed, but Martha has invited new teacher Nick (Harvey Zielinski) and his young wife Honey (Emily Goddard) for a nightcap. It’s 2am, and the news instantly ignites their fight.

Written by Edward Albee, the play was controversial when it premiered in 1962. Before Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, theatre largely offered musical escapism or light entertainment. While serious dramas such as The Glass Menagerie existed, psychological violence and the condescending attack of a private marriage were not typical public viewing.

Ironically, Stewart and Whiteley have been married for 16 years in real life. Under Sarah Goodes’ direction, the duo bicker and spar, knowing which buttons to push, just as a long-time couple would.

Stewart is captivating, whether she’s glaring at her guests to silence them or seductively crooking a finger to beckon a kiss. She never misses a beat; her barrage of abuse flies off the tongue, with a sly secret smile showing she knows precisely what she’s doing. She baits George and he bites, revealing his cruel streak. Ready for a fight, George’s role often breaks the narrative’s intensity. His loquacious soliloquies are balanced by snide remarks that have the audience tittering.

This isn’t a couple arguing at the end of a long night, George quips: “Martha and I are merely exercising”.

It’s always awkward when one couple witnesses another’s private unravelling, and Nick and Honey are pulled right into the night’s escalating drama. Martha openly flirts with the pair, taunting Nick while massaging Honey. The dance scene between Martha and Nick is overtly seductive, their thrusting hips making it clear they wish they were doing more than just dancing. Stewart prowls the stage, stalking her prey with sexual intension.

Zielinski excels as the frustrated husband, and Goddard is a superbly believable drunk, slurring her words, falling susceptible to the nods, and wearing a perfect mask of shock.

Martha knocks back drink after drink with ease, George encouraging everyone to “drink away, you’ll need it as the years go on.” Their marriage of disappointment is fuelled by alcohol, bitterness, and toxicity.

Told over three hours with two intervals, the play leaves you feeling like you need a drink to recover from its relentless intensity. It’s not for everyone. Several people left on the night this reviewer attended. This is a play you admire either for its brutal script and twisting narrative or recoil from for its violent wordplay.

Creatively, it’s a work of art. The stage is framed by mustard-coloured curtains, suggesting a peep into the life of the characters. Designer Harriet Oxley creates a detailed lounge room: high ceiling with walls that seem to stretch, stacked books, and wind rippled curtains. A large bar sits against the back wall, back lighting highlighting the many bottles, drawing the audience’s focus just as characters repeatedly return to it.

Composers and sound designers Grace Ferguson and Ethan Hunter draw on noir thrillers and grand filmic scores; the music is melancholy and jazzy, building to a crescendo of dramatic, percussive piano.

Lighting Designer Matt Scott leans into the dark, oppressive mood of a David Lynch film. The lighting doesn’t just illuminate the performers, it creates moments and adds weight to the story.

As the night spirals, secrets are revealed and lines are crossed, the audience are pulled headfirst into chaos, wondering where else this can go. But the three acts rush by, and the cast holds our attention with unrelenting force.

Combative, enthralling and memorable. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is a ferocious, must-see modern masterpiece.

5 stars. 

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is playing now at Sydney Theatre Company until 14 December 2025.

3 hours 15 minutes (includes 2 intervals)

Sydney Theatre Company presents a Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre Production in association with GWB Entertainment and Andrew Henry Presents.

For tickets visit: Sydney Theatre Company