By Dan Giovannoni after the short story collection by Christos Tsiolkas. World Premiere. Presented by Darebin Arts Speakeasy, Little Ones Theatre and Griffin Theatre Company, 2017, and Arts Centre Melbourne, 2019.

Where do Gods live? In the sewers, with us…Cruel, kind, generous and capricious.

In this theatrical adaptation of the acclaimed short story collection by author and provocateur, Christos Tsiolkas, humans and fallen angels alike are playthings – prey to godly whims.

Vicious and tender, here is Australia. In migrant camps, gay saunas, pill-popping hipster dinner parties, porn sets, prison cells and the steamy streets of King’s Cross, Merciless Gods captures haunting slices of our psyche and unveils the hidden faces of ancient deities

Intercutting between families, friends and accidental encounters, this is humanity laid-bare – virtuous and vengeful, domestic and divine.

Christos Tsiolkas has entrusted this first ever stage adaptation of Merciless Gods to queer indie company Little Ones Theatre and award winning playwright Dan Giovannoni. In the hands of these theatre makers this is urgent, dirty, glorious Australian theatre.

Little Ones Theatre's Merciless Gods was in development for three years with creative input from Tsiolkas himself throughout the process. The production was assisted by the Australia Council for the Arts, Creative Victoria and Darebin Arts. Initial development was supported by Malthouse Theatre, St Martin's, and Atelier Management.

The Melbourne Season was entirely sold out with additional shows added to meet demands. Merciless Gods was critically acclaimed and marked another departure for Little Ones Theatre stylistically.  It played from July 25th to August 5th, 2017 at Northcote Town Hall's Main Ballroom.

The critically acclaimed and also sold out Sydney season of Merciless Gods played at Griffin Theatre Company as part of their 2017 Independent Season. It ran from November 2nd- November 25th, 2017.

In 2018, Merciless Gods was nominated for five Green Room Awards including Best Production, Best Writing, and three in the Best Performer (Jennifer Vuletic, Sapidah Kian, Paul Blenheim). It won two Green Room Awards: Best Writing and Best Performer (Jennifer Vuletic).

In 2019, Merciless Gods had a return sell out season at Arts Centre Melbourne in the Fairfax Studio.

With: Paul Blenheim, Brigid Gallacher, Sapidah Kian, Peter Paltos, Charles Purcell, Jennifer Vuletic.

DIirector: Stephen Nicolazzo
Writer: Dan Giovannoni
Set and Costume Design: Eugyeene Teh
Lighting Design: Katie Sfetkidis
Sound Design: Daniel Nixon
Dramaturgy: Chris Mead

Production Manager: Gwen Gilchrist
Stage Manager: Ruth Blair
Producer: Jo Porter

★★★★★ “This is powerful, confronting and sublime theatre, a howl of anguish from those lost to the cracks and demanding to be heard” Kate Rose, Herald Sun.

★★★★½ "Breathtaking and shattering." Maxim Boon, The Music.

★★★★½ "A striking and fearless affair... Sharp staging, evocative direction, a powerhouse script, and a troupe of performers all at the top of their game...this is provocative contemporary theatre at its best" The Lowdown Under

★★★★ "Though not for the squeamish or easily offended, Merciless Gods is compelling, confronting theatre." Cameron Woodhead, The Age.

★★★★ “It demands your attention” Cassie Tongue, The Guardian.

★★★★ “Nicolazzo and Giovannoni tell these stories with great taste and restraint, and the potential discomfort is usually displaced by surprising feelings of empathy and compassion for the enormous suffering of those on stage.” Ben Neutze, Daily Review.

★★★★ “For the characters of Merciless Gods, the traumas of our shared history have left a stale stain in the soil that emerges into the personal and domestic with rage and force. There is no weak link in this cast. Stephen Nicolazzo’s direction cuts the right frame. The atmosphere becomes thick in the tiny Griffin Theatre, helping to fill the space with scents of Tsiolkas’ writing – smoke, sex and shit.” Sophie Gillfeather-Spetere, Arts Hub (Sydney)

★★★★ “Darkly fascinating, repellant but irresistible.” Sam Baran, The Music (Sydney)