About Next Fall

Nominated for the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Play.

Next Fall is a moving and thought-provoking drama about love, faith, and family. The story follows Adam and Luke, a committed couple navigating their opposing beliefs—Adam is an atheist, while Luke is a devout Christian. When an accident changes everything, Adam must rely on Luke’s family for support, leading to a deeply emotional and, at times, humorous exploration of faith, acceptance, and love.

19 - 22 Jun, 2025

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Ballarat Mechanics Institute - Minerva Space
Drama
Playwright: Geoffrey Nauffts
Director: Mathew Henderson
3 hours

Performances

Thursday 19 Jun 7:00pm
Friday 20 Jun 7:00pm
Saturday 21 Jun 2:00pm
Saturday 21 Jun 7:00pm
Sunday 22 Jun 2:00pm

Partners

Ballaarat Mechanics Institute

Show Dates and Tickets

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About the Director

Matthew Henderson

Matthew has worked extensively in the entertainment industry for over 25 years, establishing himself as a
respected and highly sought-after Stage, Company, and Production Manager, as well as a Producer.

His credits include Australian tours of The Boy From Oz, Fame, Shout!, Miss Saigon, Jerry Springer: The
Opera, Disney’s High School Musical, We Will Rock You (Australia & Japan), and Opera Australia’s Madame
Butterfly. Matthew spent over 15 years with The Walt Disney Company on The Lion King (Australia &
China), Mary Poppins (Australia & New Zealand), Aladdin (Australia & Singapore), and Frozen (Australia).

As a Producer, his credits include Australian tours of Steel Magnolias (starring Academy Award nominee
Jacki Weaver), Spring Awakening, Xanadu, Falsettos, tick, tick ... BOOM!, and The Bridges of Madison
County. He also co-produced Holding the Man in London, starring Jane Turner and Simon Burke, marking
his West End debut.

Matthew is currently directing Come From Away for Geelong’s Centre Stage, premiering in March. He
recently directed the acclaimed production of RENT for BLOC Music Theatre and previously helmed Mamma
Mia! at Her Majesty’s Theatre, which earned 13 Music Theatre Guild nominations, including Best Director,
and won Best Production.

Currently he is producing, STELLA – The Miles Franklin Story, a new Australian musical by award-winning
composer/lyricist Monique diMattina. Based on the extraordinary life of pioneering Australian author Stella
Miles Franklin, the show is directed by Petra Kalive and will have its world premiere in 2026.

Playwright

Geoffrey Nauffts

Geoffrey Nauffts has worked as an actor on and Off-Broadway, regionally, and extensively in film and television. He has directed short plays by Kenneth Lonergan, Frank Pugliese, David Marshall Grant, Theresa Rebeck and Suzan-Lori Parks, as well as Naked Angels’ critically acclaimed production of Steven Belber’s TAPE in New York, Los Angeles, and London.

He wrote, directed, and acted in the award-winning short film “Baby Steps,” starring Kathy Bates, and co-wrote “Jenifer,” a movie of the week for CBS. He collaborated with Elton John and Anthony Barrile on a score for “Showstopper,” a screenplay he and Barrile co-wrote for Ben Stiller’s production company, Red Hour. In addition to his role as a writer on ABC's hit series, “Brothers & Sisters,” he currently serves as artistic director of Naked Angels, where he's been a proud member for over twenty-four years.

His critically acclaimed play NEXT FALL opened on Broadway in March 2010, where it received the Outer Circle Critics John Gassner Award for Best New American Play, and was nominated for a Drama League Award, an Outer Circle Critics Award, a Drama Desk Award, and a Tony Award for best play.