ATYP’s first production of 2026 launching eight young Australians

The Australian Theatre for Young People is handing the keys of its freshly unveiled black box space, The Popsy, to eight rising talents aged 10 to 26.

The ensemble will debut the Sydney premiere of The Last Train to Madeline on 11 March, launching ATYP’s 2026 season with a bang. The new Australian work, written by award-winning playwright Callum Mackay and directed by ATYP Artistic Director Hayden Tonazzi, becomes the inaugural production inside The Popsy: a fit-for-purpose space designed for emerging artists and experimental works.

Set during a sweltering summer in the small town of Wangaratta, the show begins with Maddy and Luke first meeting. The pair moves from seventeen to twenty-three years old, journeying through first love, friendship and the ache of growing. Tender, funny and quietly devastating, this coming-of-age story set in the heart of regional Australia captures the cost of childhood dreams.

Eight electric performers include Melbourne-based actress, Tyallah Bullock, with notable credits including Malthouse Theatre Company’s Macbeth (An Undoing), Ensemble Theatre’s The Heartbreak Choir, and Melbourne Theatre Company’s Slap Bang Kiss. Bullock was also awarded Best Actress at Tropfest in 2019.

Performing opposite her is WAAPA and NIDA-trained Leon Walshe, whose previous work includes KXT’s All Boys and IRL, Theatre Works’ Dial M for Murder, and Seymour Centre’s Cowbois.

Joining them, Rylea Eilis brings credits from Downstairs Belvoir St Theatre’s Sergeant Snow White and Old Fitz Theatre’s Senseless and Fitz, performing alongside Finn Middleton, whose screen work includes feature films Drax, Fire Alive and The Prep Room – the latter released on Amazon Prime – and most recently KXT’s production of Port.

Rounding out the cast are four ten-year-old performers – Sophie Gnodtke, Rory Spinks, Pia Monti and Trix Bowditch – all of whom have trained through ATYP’s Learning programs and are now stepping onto the main stage as part of the company’s 2026 Season. Together, this ensemble represents the full spectrum of young Australian talent, from emerging stars to performers already building impressive professional careers.

First presented in 2024 in Melbourne by Fever103 Theatre, members of the original creative team return for the second rendition. Set & Costume Designer Savanna Wegman, Lighting Designer Spencer Herd and Sound Designer Oliver Beard, whose first iterations were recognised with Green Room Award nominations for Best Set Design and Best Lighting, reunite to reimagine the work for The Popsy.

Opening The Popsy with this production signals a bold step forward for ATYP under Tonazzi’s leadership. Designed as an intimate, flexible black box theatre, the 55-seat space allows audiences to experience theatre up close, immersed in the performers, the design and the emotional world of the play.

Tonazzi:

This is exactly the kind of work we want to begin with A new Australian story. A cast that reflects the full spectrum of young artists we champion. A creative team whose work is defining the next generation of theatre-makers. And an audience invited to sit right at the heart of it.

Season Details

Venue: The Popsy
Date: 11 – 21 Mar 2026

For more information click HERE