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“Do not save your loving speeches for your friends till they are dead. Do not write them on their tombstones, say them rather now instead.”Wollongong born Ben Pfeiffer has taken these words to heart in his latest production, ‘A Wake’, a self-devised one man show dedicated to his mother, Nanette, who is currently battling complex terminal cancer.
BOOKINGS: 02 4224 5999
https://merrigong.com.au/shows/a-wake/
Since first treading the boards of the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre at the tender age of five, Ben has gone on to enjoy a professional career that has encompassed acting, directing and writing. Now residing in Melbourne, Ben founded the critically acclaimed theatre company The Artisan Collective in 2009. He has worked on projects with Warner Bros Entertainment, Legendary Pictures and the SYFY Network, USA, and appeared in the feature films ‘Paradise Lost’, ‘The Journey’ and ‘The Spiral’.
A ten time international award winning screenwriter, Ben made his directorial feature debut in 2024 with ‘The Returned’. The film, an exploration of grief as seen through the eyes of three siblings, presented a triple threat challenge for Ben, taking on the responsibilities of writer, director and actor.
No stranger to the Wollongong stage, Ben first developed his craft as a child and teenage performer, in productions with various Illawarra theatre companies, including Roo Theatre, Guild Theatre and the Arcadians Theatre Group. Merrigong brought him back to the region in 2018, where he portrayed the troubled Cy Murphy in ‘Lost Boys’. On February 1st 2025, Ben returns to his home town once more with his most personal production to date.
In ‘A Wake’, Ben employs heart and humour as he skilfully weaves together stories, songs and poems to pay homage to the woman who brought him into the world. Uniquely personal, yet entirely relatable to anyone who has ever walked alongside grief, this is a one night only performance not to be missed.
“The superlative Ben Pfeiffer manages to shift between a remarkable array of emotions with at times scary believability.” – Theatre People
“What’s mesmerising about Pfeiffer’s performance is his sincerity. The emotional pain seeped out of Pfeiffer’s eyes and body to encompass the room." - Planet Arts
Presented by The Music Lounge and Merrigong
Produced by Tessa Parsons and Susie Hamers
BOOKINGS: 02 4224 5999
https://merrigong.com.au/shows/a-wake/
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
The Music Lounge, Wollongong Town Hall, Kembla St, Wollongong NSW 2500, Australia,Wollongong, New South Wales
