The Day of the Triffids
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https://newtheatre.org.au/the-day-of-the-triffids/
Date Reviewed: 04/07/2026
“And we danced, on the brink of an unknown future, to an echo from a vanished past…”
The Day of the Triffids is currently playing at the New Theatre, Newtown, 30 June - 25 July, 2026.
It is adapted for stage by Jay James Moody from the 1951 post-apocalyptic novel by the English science fiction author John Wyndham.
It is London, 1951. After most people in the world are blinded by a freak cosmic meteor shower, an aggressive disturbingly carnivorous species of plant, engineered by scientists and known as Triffids, start killing people and essentially commence taking over the world.
One man, Bill Masen, wakes after recovering in hospital, into a collapsing society where fear, opportunism, and chaos reign. He makes contact with wealthy novelist Josella Playton and the two seek answers and a means of surviving amid lawless mobs and carnivorous walking plants that threaten humanity’s survival.
What transpires is the struggle for truth and the means for survival within a story of human fragility, collectivism and social breakdown.
The play is directed by award-winning actor, writer, and producer Jay James-Moody. Jay was the recipient of a 2022 Mike Walsh Fellowship for producing, the 2024 Australian Writer's Guild Award for Music Theatre, and the 2024 David Williamson Prize, to name a few. He is also an original co-founder of Sydney's prestigious Hayes Theatre Co.
Before attending the production, I was curious as to how a classic tale such as this could be adapted to the stage. What transpired was a creative stance on a text published in 1951, dealing with post-apocalyptic themes that in many ways are still relevant today.
Moody's production begins with a simple unadorned, yet immersive set where the audience is encouraged to sit onstage, as if 'in the round'. Consequently, the action occurs everywhere.
Chaos reigns, created and support by the ambient use of screams, darkness and flashing lights.
The story is told through a number of inventive flash back scenes which as a whole relate how the chaos began, to where the characters find themselves at that moment. Elements which include loud, as well a subtle sounds, darkness and effective lighting augment each of the scenes portrayed. I am very familiar with the story, but wonder how well anyone who has not read the book would piece some of the scenes together within their logical sequence.
The cast includes James Collins as Bill and Umai Shantharajah as Josella. The positive chemistry between the two is both believable and works well. It also includes Claudia Elbourne, Nathan Farrow, Tony Llewellyn-Jones, Kate Mannix and Natasha Todd. In the cast as well is Max Ryan, a stand out as Torrence the antagonist of the piece.
Triffids are key to the storyline and appear at times represented in audio form and at one time as umbrellas illuminated by green lights. Creative perhaps, but it would have been good to have seen the Triffids more often across the piece.
Overall, 'The Day of the Triffids" is a challenging but well thought out production on all levels which delves into Wyndham's text and brings it to life.
The production in length is approximately 2 hours with no interval. Itcontains scenes of prolonged darkness, loud sounds, smoke and haze effects, depictions of violence, and some coarse language.
Reviewed by Vincent Brincat