Griffin Theatre Company to Stage SAVIOR at Belvoir St Theatre

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Happy Feraren's play runs at Downstairs Theatre, Belvoir St, drawing on her NGO work in the Philippines

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Griffin Theatre Company will present the world-premiere of Filipino Australian playwright, comedian and improviser Happy Feraren's, SAVIOR, from Saturday 16 May to Sunday 14 June 2026 at Belvoir's Downstairs Theatre.

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Inspired by Feraren's experience working for NGOs in the Philippines, SAVIOR follows local project officer Michelle who lands her dream assignment at SAVIOR International after a typhoon hits the Philippines.

Disaster, sure, but it's also Michelle's first time coordinating a global relief effort for a sleek American-run NGO. This is Michelle's chance to change lives, to be the changemaker she always dreamed of! All she has to do is smash her KPIs and not be distracted by her chaotic bestie Janna—who's just set Michelle up with her first-ever Tinder profile. “Nerd girl seeks fact boi for hot data sesh.” Michelle's phone blows up with blonde-haired, blue-eyed faces. The Americans have arrived. Rooftop parties replace field work, and the humanitarian response devolves into a bureaucratic mess—led by her smooth-talking new boss (who's as morally flexible as he is sexy).

As the lines between charity and self-interest blur, Michelle is forced to choose between her ambition, her conscience, and her country.

Happy Feraren (Disney's Limitless, Fillow Talk Comedy, SPIT Manila) brings first-hand insight and fearless wit to this ethical quagmire, where Utopia meets The White Lotus, in Feraren's quest to unpack the global power structures around her.

Directed by Kenneth Moraleda (Queensland Theatre's Malacañang Made Us, Old Fitz's Ate Lovia, KXT's The Marriage Agency and One Hour No Oil), and starring singer, actor and poet, Chrissy Mae Valentine as Michelle (TV's How to Write Your Soul), Chaye Mogg (The Dust in Your Place), Mark Paguio (Netflix's Spiderhead) and Michael Whalley (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), SAVIOR explores hope, justice and power through a satirical lens.

Griffin's Artistic Director Declan Greene said, “Having spent years working in NGOs in the Philippines, there is no playwright better poised to tackle the ethical quagmires of this world than Happy Feraren. They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and Happy has created an eye-opening, surprisingly funny ramble down the one laid - unintentionally - by so many aid organisations.”

Playwright Happy Feraren said, “If you told me this was in the cards for me when I moved to Sydney almost 10 years ago, I don't think I would have believed you. I've learned and grown so much with this experience and I'm relishing every moment of it.

It's been an interesting shift coming from the land of unscripted improv theatre that's loose and unhinged over to the scripted world where everything is structured and planned down to each beat of the scene. It's a welcome change. I appreciate that I can be intentional with every offer and choice because I have the time, space, collaborators, and resources to do so. To keep revisiting scenes so I can refine and polish the comedy is a wonderful gift. In improv, you only have one chance and that's it. I look forward to surprising myself as I take this step forward in my artistic career.”

This smart, modern play skewers the ego, excess and ethical gymnastics of corporate humanitarianism and provides an inside look at the bureaucracy of anti-corruption NGOs.

With its humour and wit, SAVIOR is one not to be missed.

SAVIOR was commissioned through the Incubator – NSW Theatre (Emerging) Fellowship in collaboration with Griffin Theatre Company in 2021. It subsequently was developed with the support of Griffin Studio Workshop donors, the Malcolm Robertson Foundation and through a residency at Theatre and Performance Studies, the University of Sydney. The premiere production of SAVIOR is supported by Griffin's Production Partner program.

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/sydney/article/SAVIOR-Will-Come-to-Griffin-Theatre-Company-20260511)._