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Newcastle Fringe Festival, 20 March 2026
The feminist book they tried to ban in France becomes a must-see theatrical experience
Stoddart Entertainment Group (SEG) have announced the director and cast for the world premiere of I HATE MEN As Read By Men, a provocative new theatrical work based on I Hate Men by French feminist author Pauline Harmange, presented as part of the Newcastle Fringe Festival in March 2026.
Once banned in France for being “too radical”, Harmange’s essays are reimagined for the stage as a live, conversational theatrical experience – part lecture, part pub yarn, part cultural cleanse. The work invites audiences into a space of provocation, audacity and debate, as Harmange’s ideas are explored openly and in real time.
Helming the production is director, dramaturg, writer, and performer Brittanie Shipway, whose career spans critically lauded productions, new Australian writing, and musical theatre development. Shipway’s recent production of Barbra: The Greatest Star sold out at The Hayes Theatre with a slew of five-star reviews, and she has also performed on stage in acclaimed roles, including Hermia in Bell Shakespeare’s The Lovers and Margaret Whitlam in the new Australian musical The Dismissal. This marks Shipway’s first opportunity to develop I HATE MEN As Read By Men from the ground up, shaping a bold, irreverent, and emotionally intelligent theatrical event.
“This is a thrilling challenge,” says Shipway. “I’m interested in theatre that doesn’t tell you what to think, but invites you to sit with tension, question everything, and feel it in your gut. This work is bold, funny, and uncomfortable. I’m also really interested in seeing how audiences change the energy of each performance; it will feel incredibly different night to night. And that’s what theatre should be: IT’S ALIIIIIVE!”
Shipway is joined by a cast of exceptional performers – Haydan Hawkins, Jordan Shea, and Tana Laga’aia – whose combined experience spans national tours, award-winning theatre, television, and socially engaged performance.
Haydan Hawkins is a Sydney-based actor, singer and storyteller with national and international credits in acclaimed musicals and television, including Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Miss Saigon, Into the Woods, and The Unlisted, bringing a thoughtful, versatile presence to every performance. Jordan Shea is an award-winning writer and performer whose work spans theatre, musical theatre, and documentary performance, with credits developed by Queensland Theatre Company, Belvoir, Sydney Theatre Company, and Melbourne Theatre Company, and recipient of multiple prestigious fellowships and awards. Tana Laga’aia is an Australian-born Samoan performer and NIDA graduate, with professional credits including RENT (national tour and Sydney Opera House), Jesus Christ Superstar, and Barbra: The Greatest Star, bringing strong musicality and socially engaged storytelling to the stage.
Together, they take on a daring new work in development, engaging with Harmange’s writing not as a provocation to resolve, but as a conversation to enter, bringing skill, intelligence, and curiosity to a production that promises to be as challenging as it is energising.
Endorsed by Harmange herself, the stage adaptation leans into humour, music and contradiction, featuring iconic feminist rock anthems alongside sharp thinking and candid reflection.
“I find the idea of my work being read by men on stage really exciting,” says Harmange. “Men often prefer listening to other men so this feels like a brilliant Trojan horse. If it makes more men listen, then that’s powerful.”
Produced by Stoddart Entertainment Group, with Daniel Stoddart as Executive Producer and Taylor Tran as Associate Producer, the work forms part of SEG’s 2026 season – a program dedicated to bold, perspective-shifting theatre that sparks conversation beyond the auditorium.
“We want audiences to laugh, squirm, reflect and argue – ideally all at once,” says Stoddart. “This isn’t about offering neat answers. It’s about creating a space where big ideas around gender, power, privilege and complicity can be explored with intelligence, courage and wit.”
Anchored by music audiences know and love, I HATE MEN As Read By Men is not a comedy but you’ll laugh. It’s not a lecture but you’ll leave with plenty to chew on. Above all, it’s a smart, energising theatrical experience designed to ignite conversation long after the final song.
The world premiere season plays Newcastle Fringe Festival 20-22 March 2026 at the Islington Barracks Hotel, with plans underway for further development and touring beyond the festival.
Author
Pauline Harmange
Pauline Harmange is a French writer and feminist. I Hate Men (4th Estate – HarperCollins, 2020), her first book, is a best-seller and has been published in 20 languages. Other works include, Abortion, a personal story, a political choice (Scribe Publications, 2023), Aux endroits brisés (At the Broken Places), Le renard (The Fox) and De l’autre côté de la mère (On the Other Side of Mother).
Director/Adaptor
Brittanie Shipway
Brittanie Shipway is a multi-award-winning director, dramaturg, writer and performer whose practice spans new Australian work, musical theatre development and critically acclaimed productions. Her directing credits include Barbra: The Greatest Star (Hayes Theatre Co.), Once On This Island (Curveball Productions) and The Witches of Eastwick (Neglected Musicals). As a playwright, her work has been developed and produced by Ensemble Theatre and Theatre Works, and she is the recipient of the APRA AMCOS Professional Development Award (Music Theatre) and Creative Australia’s Dreaming Award. Brittanie is known for her rigorous, collaborative approach to developing new work and her fearless engagement with complex ideas.
Cast
Haydan Hawkins
Haydan Hawkins is a Sydney-based actor, singer and storyteller whose career spans musical theatre, television and stage. His credits include Priscilla Queen of the Desert (national tour), Miss Saigon, Into the Woods, Dogfight and The Wedding Singer. On screen, he has appeared in The Unlisted (Netflix/ABC) and The Doctor Blake Mysteries. A graduate of the Howard Fine Studio, Haydan brings a thoughtful, open-hearted approach to new work and contemporary theatre.
Jordan Shea
Jordan Shea is an award-winning writer and performer whose work spans theatre, musical theatre and documentary performance. A graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts (Writing), his work has been developed and produced by Queensland Theatre Company, Belvoir, Sydney Theatre Company and Melbourne Theatre Company. Jordan is the recipient of the Queensland Premier’s Drama Award, the Philip Parsons Fellowship for Playwriting and a Writing NSW Fellowship, and was recently named the 2026 National Library of Australia Creative Arts Fellow.
Tana Laga’aia
Tana Laga’aia is an Australian-born Samoan performer and graduate of NIDA’s Diploma of Musical Theatre. His professional credits include RENT (national tour and Sydney Opera House seasons), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Jesus Christ Superstar and Barbra: The Greatest Star (Hayes Theatre Co.). Tana brings a strong musical foundation and a deep commitment to socially engaged storytelling.