What’s On: Dead Bat On The Night Shift (Observatory Theatre)

*Image credit: Kris Anderson / Images by Anderson*

Dead Bat on the Night Shift

26 August – 5 September 2026

PIP Theatre, Milton

Cosmic order meets corporate chaos this August in Observatory Theatre’s new show.

Tickets are now on sale for Observatory Theatre’s new production Dead Bat On The Night Shift, a comedy thriller by local Brisbane writer Samantha Hill. Commissioned through the Telescope New Writing Program, the show delivers a satirical take on toxic workplaces. This brand new play will premiere at PIP Theatre in Brisbane city.

Call centre employee Sloane has been receiving signs from the universe. The tarot card known as the ‘Hanging Man’ keeps appearing in her library books, and her early period is an omen of impending doom. Now, there’s a dead bat hanging from the power lines, which all points to one meaning: she must kill her evil boss and save her coworkers. Obviously.

Directed by Observatory Theatre’s Artistic Director and Producer, Lachlan Driscoll, this play has been several years in the making. “Samantha’s writing is unique and original,” he said, “She’s very good at capturing relatable human situations that will have you cringing, laughing and crying all throughout”.

The play investigates the extremes that people go to achieve a better quality of life for themselves and those around them. “What if someone had lived a genuinely good and moral life, but then committed a terrible crime?” asks Hill. “Would we consider them a bad person?”

No stranger to writing empowering feminine characters and messaging, Hill’s play also looks at how women are treated in the workplace and beyond. “It’s a story of a woman who has been told over and over again by systems that she is worthless and invisible,” she says. “And in spite of that, she has somehow held onto this belief that she is meant to have an impact on the world. I think people will see a bit of themselves in Sloane.”

While bristling with political undertones, Dead Bat on the Night Shift is a laugh-out-loud production from a shrewd writer. Like a cross between The Office and Buffy The Vampire Slayer, audiences can expect corporate and cosmic chaos. “I think there has to be magic and wonder in the world”, Hill says. “However you see it or interpret it, it’s yours for the taking if you want it”.

For ticketing and further information, visit the Observatory Theatre website