Sydney Opera House in association with FANE and Andrew Kay present An Evening with Fran Lebowitz

Sydney — Tuesday 8 August 2023

In a Sydney exclusive event, renowned writer, humorist and social commentator Fran Lebowitz will appear live on stage at the Sydney Opera House on February 13, 2024.

Returning to Australia for the first time since the success of the Netflix special, Pretend It’s A City, audiences will be treated to an evening of piercing observations and personal vexations, as Fran contemplates our ever-shifting world. The evening will also include her favourite recreational activity, an audience Q&A.  

Unfiltered and with a love of giving her opinion, Lebowitz will leave no topic unscathed, from the infamous New York of the 1970s, to the groups who provoke her deepest disdain, as well as the pressing issues of our time including gender, race, politics and the media. Expect skewering comments from Lebowitz on modern life, delivered with typical pithy flair, such as:

• On wisdom: “Think before you speak. Read before you think.”
• On pleasure: “I have no guilty pleasures, because pleasure never makes me feel guilty.”
• On inner peace: “There is no such thing as inner peace. There is only nervousness and death.”
• On herself: “Success didn’t spoil me; I’ve always been insufferable.”
• On you: “Your life story would not make a good book. Don't even try.” 

Sydney Opera House Head of Talks & Ideas, Chip Rolley says: “Ever since Pretend It’s a City exploded on our screens, we have wanted to bring Fran Lebowitz back to the Sydney Opera House. In this special event, we all get to take on the role of Marty Scorsese and ask her what she thinks about absolutely anything in our puzzling, frustrating, sometimes maddening world. It’s then our job to sit back, relax and laugh until we can no longer. Sydney should prepare itself for a banner night out with one of the world’s great cultural satirists.”

Fran Lebowitz will be joined on stage by a special guest interviewer ahead of the audience Q&A, and will sign copies of her book after the show. Fran will also appear in Brisbane and Melbourne.