Kieran Carroll & The Twyford present
NEWK (The John Newcombe Story)
The Twyford – Theatre venue
5.00pm Saturday 24 January 2026
Written by Kieran Carroll
Performed by Paul Armstrong
Directed by Ross Daniels
A play about the Australian tennis legend – for all the tennis fans!
Written by award-winning Australian playwright Kieran Carroll and performed by acclaimed Melbourne actor, Paul Armstrong, NEWK (The John Newcombe Story) traces the life of the great Australian tennis champion of the 1960s and 70s, John Newcombe. NEWK has been a big hit all over NSW and Victoria since 2019 and is perfect for tennis fans! Come dressed as your favourite tennis player – prizes to be won!
Optional: Buffet Dinner and Live Stream from the Australian Open on our big screen follow the play performance – strictly limited numbers.
SHOW INFO
4.00pm Box office and Foyer Cafe/Bar open for pre-show drinks and snacks
5.00pm Play performance starts
6.20pm Play performance ends (no interval)
6.25pm Winners of favourite tennis player dressup competition announced
6.30pm Buffet Dinner with drinks available from our Foyer Cafe/Bar (pre-bookings essential – dinner tickets now closed)
7.00pm Live Stream from the 2026 Australian Open begins on our BIG screen in the Theatre – live stream end time depends on match play
9.30pm Cafe/Bar closes (unless match finishes earlier)
10.00pm Venue closes (unless match finishes earlier)
TICKETS
- Play Performance only: General: $50 | Concession: $40 | Under 18s: $30
- Dinner after the show: DINNER TICKETS NOW CLOSED
Dinner ticket includes buffet dinner and 1 free drink (hot or cold) from the Foyer cafe/bar. - Australian Open live stream from 7.00pm. Drinks & snacks available for purchase at the bar prior to entry.
- Twyford Subscribers – check your e-news for your additional discount promo code on show tickets
- Twyford Gift Certificates are valid for this event
ABOUT
Set in 2024 at Newk’s 80th birthday in Sydney, Newcombe’s journey travels from naïve 1960s schoolboy, to the No 1 player in the world in the 1970s, to his time as Davis Cup Captain, to the stroke he suffered in 2003.
Numerous well-known guests drop by to celebrate his special day and share the memories. Both drama and comedy, the play portrays a highly determined and ambitious man burning through a quickly changing world. Aware he’s putting his family second emotionally while conscious of providing for them financially, the play exposes the exhausting schedules that even players of yesteryear endured. Volatile off-court politics are also rife as the game moves into full blown professionalism.
The play also captures hilarious moments from some of Newcombe’s numerous commercials and business enterprises: Cinzano, bananas, Canon cameras and K-Tel tennis instruction albums!
NEWK (The John Newcombe Story) is a grand story about wanting life to be a huge ride, where rest is secondary and finally how that zest and appetite for life never disappears but needs to be tempered. So, grab a Cinzano and enjoy this rollicking ride about the life of one of Australia’s greatest sportsmen!
