WORM FARMING

Worm Farming was written by Daniel Widdowson in 2016. It premiered at the National Museum of Australia in 2017, followed by performances at Darling Quarter Theatre, Gosford Regional Gallery and The Art House. In 2020 the script was reworked and a revised production was again hosted by The Art House.

Salt House Creative is honoured to have the support and endorsement of human rights advocate and barrister Julian Burnside AO KC for this project.

“This is an hilarious script. It draws out two contradictory aspects of Australian culture. It shows the traditional genuine Australian instinct for hospitality and concern for those in need; and sets that against the current hysteria about refugees and, in particular, Muslim refugees. It captures the Australian capacity for hiding (and hiding from) our worst impulses and our worst conduct” ~ Burnside

—

2026 CAST

ASH ~ KATIE MCMANUS

ANDREW ~ DANIEL WIDDOWSON

KIRSTIE ~ CHLOE MCWILLIAM

NICK ~ AMOS MARKEY

MIKE ~ JAYDEN GOBBE

JEN ~ OLIVIA ROWE

KAREN ~ JANE SACKMAN

ZACH ~ ETHAN DALE

ZOE ~ EMERSON GOODENOUGH

FERRAN ~ ROB LOGAN

—

Worm Farming is a sharply funny and wickedly dark Australian comedy that digs into the chaos lurking beneath one family’s desperate desire to appear decent. An egotistical daughter, a disregarded son, a mother who will do anything to keep up appearances and a clueless father, have decided to take on a Syrian refugee. As a visit from the Refugee Council of Australia draws near, unwanted partners and nosy neighbours become increasingly difficult to fend off. The family’s carefully crafted façade rapidly decomposes, spiralling into a hilariously macabre mess, where survival means smiling politely and wearing pants.

A bold, biting satire about virtue signalling, suburban ethics, and the lengths people go to look like good citizens, Worm Farming delivers big laughs, big shocks, and a fresh, twisted take on the modern Australian family.