A classic Australian novel is getting a contemporary makeover at the Byron Theatre this week, with Tirra Lirra by the River brought to the stage using cutting-edge audio-visual effects.
The play, Byron Theatre Company’s second major production following its 2025 debut Displace I Call Home, is running now.
Adapted from Jessica Anderson’s Miles Franklin Award-winning novel, the production follows Nora, who reluctantly returns to the Australian house where she grew up and finds memories of her past waiting for her.
Forced to reckon with the choices she has made, Nora revisits a life shaped across decades, with the story weaving a timeline from jazz-age Sydney to post-war London.
While the novel itself has long been regarded as an Australian classic, the Byron production promises a distinctly modern take, combining live performance with projection mapping, live cinema and immersive sound design created specifically for the Byron Theatre space.
The production stars Byron Bay-based actor Toni Scanlan, known for roles in Water Rats, The Newsreader and Packed to the Rafters, alongside Murwillumbah performer Pirie Outridge and actor, writer and director Tom Anderson.
Co-director Heather Fairbairn said bringing a production of this scale to the Northern Rivers was especially meaningful.
‘It’s rare to be able to make work at this level in your own community,’ Ms Fairbairn said.
‘I spend much of the year working away from home, so to return to Byron and make a second work here this year feels significant.’
Ms Fairbairn recently directed NORPA’s acclaimed Prima Facie, which premiered at Byron Theatre before touring throughout the Northern Rivers.
The adaptation has been written and directed by Ms Fairbairn and Kate Wild, whose theatre work spans Australia and the United Kingdom.
Byron Theatre Company Creative Producer Bianca Sirianni said the company was focused on creating ambitious work while supporting local artists.
‘We’re listening – to artists, to audiences, to what’s needed here – and creating space for meaningful work,’ Ms Sirianni said.
Performances run until 13 June at Byron Theatre, 69 Jonson Street, Byron Bay, with evening performances at 7.30pm and Saturday matinees at 2pm.
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