2017 SEASON 2017 3 A message from Kip Williams 5 Top benefits of a Season Ticket 11 Insight Events 13 Enhance your Season Ticket experience THE PLAYS 16 The Testament of Mary 18 Away 20 Chimerica 22 The Bleeding Tree 24 Talk 26 The Popular Mechanicals 28 Black is the New White 30 1984 32 Cloud Nine 34 Australian Graffiti 36 The Father 38 Dinner 40 Three Sisters 42 Muriel’s Wedding SPECIAL OFFER 45 The Wharf Revue HOW TO BOOK AND USEFUL INFO 48 Podcast 49 How to book checklist 50 Let us help you choose 52 How to book your Season Ticket 53 New and improved features 54 Ticket prices 56 Venues and access 57 Key dates for your diary 58 STC and the community 59 Join our donor family 60 Walsh Bay Kitchen 61 The Theatre Bar at the End of The Wharf 62 Thank you 64 Contact details
1 Roslyn Packer Theatre A MESSAGE Drama Theatre The Wharf FROM KIP WILLIAMS A great piece of theatre is like a great Dinner. Lucy Kirkwood’s gripping Chimerica is conversation. It always involves a passionate a sensational text and I can’t wait to direct it, exchange of ideas, jokes, arguments and a along with two plays very close to my heart – sharing of deep-seated emotions. The same can Cloud Nine and Three Sisters. be said for putting together a season of plays. And, like any good conversation, you never quite Bringing this myriad of stories to life will be know to which exciting places it might lead. a fabulous roll call of acting talent, from the legendary John Bell to STC favourites including Here on The Wharf, the 2017 conversation Paula Arundell, Eryn Jean Norvill, Mark commenced during former Artistic Director Leonard Winter and Alison Whyte, to great Jonathan Church’s time with the company from young actors like Harry Greenwood, Rarriwuy September to May. Many of the thoughts, Hick, Shari Sebbens and Charles Wu. partnerships and aspirations he brought to the table will play out on our stages in 2017, 2017 is a year of ideas and energy, of political alongside contributions from STC’s artistic engagement, of laughter, reflection and team, all of which stem from conversations with revelation. We’ve had great conversations the broader Australian theatre community. bringing it together, and we look forward to Those conversations haven’t finished either you joining us as the – they continue with you in the theatre, they conversation continues. continue in the bar afterwards, they continue long into the night. Kip Williams Interim Artistic We have a lot to look forward to in 2017. From Director Mary to Muriel, from Beijing to Moscow, there’s a breadth and depth to the season that runs from the epic to the intimate, from the classic to the contemporary. Twentieth-century titans like Chekhov, Churchill and Orwell sit alongside superb new Australian voices like Angus Cerini, Nakkiah Lui and Disapol Savetsila, as well as new work from Jonathan Biggins and a new adaptation from Andrew Upton. I’m excited to see a classic like Michael Gow’s Away from a fresh perspective and it’s a thrill that Muriel’s Wedding, one of our country’s greatest gifts to the world, is finding a new life on stage.
We welcome the wonderful Imara Savage as our new Resident Director, bringing us two very different shows – the beautifully crafted The Testament of Mary and the viciously funny
2 3 THE TOP BENEFITS OF A SEASON TICKET A Season Ticket is made up of 6 to 14 plays. Along with significant savings on tickets, Season Ticket Holders get many more benefits through the year.
EXCLUSIVE RENEWAL WINDOW UNTIL 11 OCT Existing Season Ticket Holders get first choice on all plays during an exclusive renewal window from Tue 13 Sep to Tue 11 Oct.
SAVE 20% ON TICKETS Your Season Ticket is the best value for money, saving you at least 20% on full-price single tickets. See all ticket prices in detail on pg 54–55.
MORE SAVINGS ALL YEAR Season Ticket Holders get an exclusive year- round discount on tickets. Use your discount price to share the savings with family and friends – great for gifts! BEST AVAILABLE SEATS Get first access to the best available seats to all plays. Many of our plays sell out, so a Season Ticket guarantees your seats to the LOTS OF EXCLUSIVE most exciting and in-demand theatre of 2017. REWARDS Your Season Ticket Holder Benefits Card unlocks discounts on wine, SUSAN GEORGE cinemas, hotels, parking, cultural PLAN FOR GOOD TIMES AHEAD SEASON TICKET HOLDER outings and more. Additional Quality time with family and friends is one exclusive offers and invitations of the best things about a Season Ticket. are sent through the year in the Get your diary organised with plenty of monthly enewsletter. Visit outings to look forward to in 2017. sydneytheatre.com.au/benefits
5 MORE REASONS TO LOVE YOUR SEASON TICKET
PURCHASE ALL PLAYS AND GET A FREE TICKET Book all 14 plays in our main season before 5 Dec, and get a free ticket so you can introduce a friend to a show of your choice.
PRE-SALE WINDOW ON UNLIMITED FREE THE WHARF REVUE EXCHANGES Season Ticket Holders can purchase discounted We understand your plans may change. You tickets for one of the most in-demand shows of can swap to another date of the same show the year, The Wharf Revue, months before they fee-free, subject to availability. Some go on sale to the public. See pg 46 for details. conditions apply; check with Box Office.
PAY IN INSTALMENTS NO EXTRA FEES Spread the cost of your Season Ticket across There are no transaction fees on any four instalments. Choose the deferred Season Ticket booking. payment option online or on your booking form before 30 Dec. Some conditions apply; see booking form or website.
BOOK BY 5 DEC TO WIN A LUXURY WEEKEND AWAY Purchase your Season Ticket before 5 Dec winemaker, which includes a mixed case and you could win a luxurious weekend to take home. Dinner is a three-course for two to Orange FOOD Week (7–9 Apr). feast at Lolli Redini, featuring the best of local produce. Sunday is for relaxing – Travel to Orange in style in a enjoy a continental breakfast in your suite complimentary Audi, which will be yours and take in the sights of the area before for the weekend (Fri–Mon). On arrival, cruising home in your Audi. “There are always great quality, interesting, check into your luxurious Studio Suite thought-provoking productions. We always at the De Russie Boutique Hotel – your Thanks to our friends at Audi and home for two nights. On Saturday head Cumulus Estate Wines. See pg 64 enjoy the experience, especially local and to Cumulus Estate Wines’ pop-up Cellar for terms and diverse plays.” Door for a full wine tasting with the conditions. STEPHANIE KETTLER, SEASON TICKET HOLDER
6 7 LOYALTY BENEFITS FOR SEASON TICKET HOLDERS All Season Ticket Holders get a Benefits Card and other bonuses. In addition, we recognise the loyalty of those who have been with us for three or more consecutive years with tiered benefits.
A lifetime of loyalty benefits Better still, we continue rewarding you for life. Once you’ve earned Star status (3–10 years) or Legend status (11+ years), you have access to those benefits every year that you are a Season Ticket Holder, even if you take a year or two off. * “I FEEL SO FORTUNATE TO BE A VETERAN STARS LEGENDS People who have been a Season Ticket Holder People who have been a Season Ticket Holder SEASON TICKET HOLDER – for 3–10 years receive: for 11 or more years receive the same benefits as our Stars, plus the following: THAT BIT EXTRA, ALWAYS!” The Theatre Bar at the End of The Wharf ANNE SAWSTUK, SEASON TICKET HOLDER A free glass of selected wine with any main Exclusive access to best available seats course purchased. We have reserved an exclusive allocation of best available seats during the priority renewal Walsh Bay Kitchen window for you to access as a thank you for your Reserve a table for any main meal and get a loyalty.** complimentary glass of sparkling wine on arrival. Includes pre-theatre specials Adina Apartment Hotels (see pg 60 for how to book). Receive a 10% discount from our accommodation partner Adina Apartment Hotels, plus the choice Sydney Festival of unlimited wifi, late check-out or room upgrade. Take advantage of three exclusive ticket offers from Sydney Festival, which you’ll hear about The Theatre Bar at the End of The Wharf after its program is announced. A free cheese platter for two with any wine purchase after a show.
Walsh Bay Kitchen * The priority renewal window, exclusive seating allocation, and Reserve a table for any main meal and receive benefits are available to current Season Ticket Holders only and valid for the season to which you are subscribed. a complimentary antipasti plate. Includes ** Bookings are processed in order of receipt. Renew early to avoid pre-theatre specials (see pg 60 for how to book). disappointment.
For full terms and conditions of the Season Ticket Holder Benefits Card, and the Stars and Legends program, visit sydneytheatre.com.au/benefits
9 “As a family we attended the pre-season briefing last night. E What a fantastic opportunity. YOU’RE INVIT D TO OUR Thank you for letting us into N the creative process, history and I SIGHT EVENTS inspiration for this play. We can’t wait to see the show. It will be all the more special because we were let in behind the scenes. I thought this might spoil it but it has just enhanced the excitement.” ELIZABETH, MATTHEW AND PETER TAYLOR, SEASON TICKET HOLDERS
Everyone is welcome at our free and ticketed Insight Events. Find out how our shows are made, meet like-minded theatre- lovers and gain deeper insight into each play.
AUDI NIGHT WITH THE ACTORS PRE-SEASON BRIEFINGS Quiz the actors! Purchase Our Pre-season Briefings are lively conversations tickets to an Audi Night with between cast, creatives and you. Held during the Actors performance and rehearsals, they are a fun and interactive talk stay after the show for an about the creative process. Tickets are free, but enlightening and entertaining must be booked in advance – reminders are Q & A with the cast. Dates are included in our enewsletter. Dates are on the on the play pages and website. play pages and website.
Can’t make the Insight Events but want to keep up with the conversation? We live-tweet most of our Audi Night with the Actors and Pre-season Briefing events so more people can follow along. Follow us at @sydneytheatreco
John Leary and Eryn Jean Norvill, All10 My Sons Pre-season Briefing, 2016 11 Matinee Club, 2016 Geoffrey Rush, Robyn Nevin, Neil Armfield at the Pier Group Lunch for King Lear, 2015 ENHANCE YOUR SEASON TICKET EXPERIENCE Get the most out of your Season Ticket by taking advantage of all the extra stuff we prepare to enhance your STC experience and deepen your enjoyment of our plays.
MATINEE CLUB LUNCH WITH THE ARTISTS MAGAZINE Chat with other theatre-goers and enjoy a Pier Group events are a rare opportunity to Our online magazine takes you inside the world talk from a creative at one of our friendly free lunch with artists, support STC and hear an of STC and beyond. Read, watch and listen to events prior to selected matinees. Due to the exclusive talk with cast and creatives about interviews with actors, directors, designers, popularity of Matinee Club, an RSVP for each the issues raised in the featured plays. playwrights, composers and STC staff. Explore person is essential. About three weeks before Hosted by Pier Group co-founder and patron the themes and inspirations for our each event, details are emailed to those with Anne Schofield am and held at The Wharf, productions, our trove of archival material, tickets to the performances listed below, and funds raised support the immediate and image galleries and much more. reminders are included in our enewsletter. evolving needs of STC. $75pp for a two-course Visit sydneytheatre.com.au/magazine meal and glass of wine. To book, call Box Office 2017 Matinee Clubs: on (02) 9250 1777. Chimerica Wed 8 Mar 12–1pm MORE BENEFITS IN EACH ENEWS Black is the New White Wed 17 May 12–1pm 2017 Pier Group Lunches: We curate a selection of special offers and Cloud Nine Wed 12 Jul 12–1pm Talk Mon 6 Mar 12–2pm exclusive behind-the-scenes content for the Australian Graffiti Wed 19 Jul 12–1pm Cloud Nine Mon 29 May 12–2pm Season Ticket Holder enewsletter. Ensure you The Father Mon 17 Jul 12–2pm include your email address on your booking Muriel’s Wedding Tue 3 Oct 12–2pm form, or when booking online. DISCOVER NEW TALENT On behalf of The Pier Group, Anne Schofield PRE-SHOW CONTENT THE VERY BEST PROGRAMS AT ROUGH DRAFTS also hosts The Wharf Revue Gala each year. About three days before your play dates, we A delightful keepsake, our souvenir programs Rough Drafts are week-long creative In 2017, it will be held on Tue 24 Oct, 8pm. send a pre-show email with articles introducing feature articles, essays, photographs, full bio developments for emerging and established $85pp includes your ticket to the show, a pre-show you to the world of the work, important and information on cast and creatives, and the artists, with a free public showing on Friday drink and a post-show party with the cast. useful information (like updated casting, show latest STC news. Pre-purchase vouchers with evening (best followed by drinks at the bar). Book for the Gala on your paper booking form length and content warnings), and handy tips your Season Ticket for $8 each, or pick one up They are a fascinating glimpse into the making as part of your Special Offer selection, or call to help plan your night. Ensure you’re opted for $10 at the venue. of diverse new works. This year’s premiere of Box Office for more details. in by including your email address on your Australian Graffiti started out as a Rough Draft booking form, or when booking online. Programs are available during the run of a play and we are delighted to have it as part of our for all our 2017 shows, except Australian Graffiti, 2017 season. Details of Rough Drafts are The Popular Mechanicals and The Wharf Revue. released through the year in our enewsletter.
Find out more about our Insight Events at sydneytheatre.com.au/insightevents
12 13 THE PLAYS
15 Director SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS Imara Savage Designer Elizabeth Gadsby THE TESTAMENT Composer & Sound Designer OF MARY Max Lyandvert BY COLM TOIBIN With Alison Whyte AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE The truth should be spoken INSIGHT EVENTS Pre-season Briefing Mon 9 Jan 6.15pm She is the Mother, the Virgin, the Saint. But, for two thousand years, Wharf 2 Theatre Mary has been silent. A woman seen but not heard. Until now.
Audi Night with Irish writer Colm Tóibín has been shortlisted for the prestigious the Actors Booker Prize on three occasions. Most recently, in 2013, for Mon 30 Jan and The Testament of Mary, now adapted for the stage. In it, a profound new Mon 20 Feb post-show voice emerges. Several years after Jesus’ death, Mary recounts her son’s final days and provides a maternal perspective on a very familiar story.
Mary’s narrative is both clear-eyed and moving – bringing dimension and humour to a story of misfits, miracles and crucifixion. At its core beats the heart of a woman grieving an unbearable loss. The question is, was it worth it?
In the role is the Helpmann Award-winning Alison Whyte (Love and Information), an actor renowned for her visceral connection to language, her intelligence and her deep reserves of empathy.
Shaping the space around her are STC Resident Director Imara Savage (Hay Fever), Resident Designer Elizabeth Gadsby (The Hanging) and composer Max Lyandvert (The Golden Age). In their hands, a new kind of gospel will ring true. “Plays as stark and strong as this don’t come along very often... Originally produced on Broadway by Scott Rudin this is a work of manifest integrity.” Productions. Commissioned The Telegraph, UK by Dublin Theatre Festival and Landmark Productions with the support of Irish Theatre Trust. 13 JAN – 25 FEB WHARF 1 THEATRE Whyte
1HR 20MINS WARNING: #STCTESTAMENT (NO INTERVAL) VIOLENT IMAGERY Alison
16 Director SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS Matthew Lutton A SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY AND MALTHOUSE THEATRE PRODUCTION Designer Dale Ferguson Lighting Designer AWAY Paul Jackson BY MICHAEL GOW Composer & Sound Designer J. David Franzke
With “We’re going to drive for a bit. See what we find.” Marco Chiappi Glenn Hazeldine Natasha Herbert Christmas, 1967, and three families are about to go on their summer Heather Mitchell holidays by the beach. The end-of-year school play is a success and young Liam Nunan love is lighting up the dressing room. But ’tis not the season to be jolly.
INSIGHT EVENTS Michael Gow’s Away premiered in Sydney 30 years ago, quickly Pre-season Briefing establishing itself as a modern classic. At the story’s heart are three Mon 13 Feb 6.15pm mothers – each dealing with loss and loneliness in their own particular Wharf 2 Theatre way. Their personal tragedies and small victories play out in front of a snapshot of Australian history, with the Vietnam War and the social Audi Night with upheavals of the 1960s providing a complex backdrop. the Actors Mon 27 Feb and In director Matthew Lutton’s new vision for the play, we see events unfold Mon 13 Mar post-show through the eyes of Tom, an aspiring actor facing the hard reality of his own impending curtain call.
Throughout, Away delights in the full range of theatrical expression – from the smallest intimacy to the most epic of storms. This co-production with Melbourne’s Malthouse Theatre brings together some of the country’s most admired stage performers, including Heather Mitchell (Hay Fever), Glenn Hazeldine (Disgraced) and Liam Nunan (The Golden Age) for this return of a great Australian play.
“Truthful, fantastical, satirical and deeply touching... Away is inspiring.” The Sydney Morning Herald
18 FEB – 25 MAR DRAMA THEATRE, SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE ASSOCIATE PARTNER Mitchell
1HR 40MINS WARNING: #STCAWAY (NO INTERVAL) SEXUAL REFERENCES Heather
18 Director SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY AND Kip Williams COLONIAL FIRST STATE GLOBAL ASSET MANAGEMENT PRESENT Set Designer David Fleischer Lighting Designer CHIMERICA Nick Schlieper BY LUCY KIRKWOOD Composer & Sound Designer AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE THE SWEATS
With Everybody needs a hero Gabrielle Chan Jason Chong Geraldine Hakewill As tanks roll through Tiananmen Square, a young man holding shopping Brent Hill bags walks out to block their path. In a hotel, a few hundred metres away, Shuang Hu a young American photojournalist trains his lens on the scene and Monica Sayers captures a piece of history. A hero is born. Mark Leonard Winter Anthony Brandon Wong Twenty years later, a cryptic message is left in a Beijing newspaper that Charles Wu gives a clue to that hero’s identity. Who was the man in front of the tanks? What happened to him? And could he still be alive? INSIGHT EVENTS Pre-season Briefing Inspired by one of the 20th century’s most recognisable images, Lucy Mon 20 Feb 6.15pm Kirkwood’s compelling script premiered at London’s Almeida Theatre Wharf 2 Theatre before winning an Olivier Award for Best New Play and going on to a West End season. Chimerica tracks two decades of US-China relations Audi Night with the Actors alongside the personal stories that exist beyond the margins of history. Mon 6 Mar and Filmic in scope, this is both an astounding, globe-trotting thriller Mon 20 Mar post-show and a rich, character-driven drama.
Matinee Club After winning Helpmann Awards in 2016 for both Best Actor and Best Wed 8 Mar 12pm Supporting Actor, Mark Leonard Winter (King Lear) returns to STC with Jason Chong (Netflix’s Marco Polo). Our award-winning Kip Williams (All My Sons) directs a visually enthralling and spectacular production.
“A phenomenon... Puts a whole world on the stage.” The Telegraph, UK
SEE p62 Winter PRESENTING PARTNER 28 FEB – 1 APR Leonard
ROSLYN PACKER THEATRE Mark
WARNING: 3HRS STRONG LANGUAGE, #STCCHIMERICA Chong, (INCLUDING INTERVAL) VIOLENCE Jason
20 Director SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY AND LENDLEASE PRESENT Lee Lewis A GRIFFIN THEATRE COMPANY PRODUCTION Designer Renée Mulder Lighting Designer THE BLEEDING TREE Verity Hampson BY ANGUS CERINI Composer Steve Toulmin
With Paula Arundell “Girls, I think your father’s dead.” Airlie Dodds Shari Sebbens In a dirt-dry town in rural Australia, a shot shatters the still night. A INSIGHT EVENTS mother and her daughters have just welcomed home the man of the house… Pre-season Briefing with a bullet. The only issue now is disposing of the body. Mon 6 Mar 6.15pm Wharf 2 Theatre From the pen of Victorian playwright Angus Cerini, The Bleeding Tree premiered at Griffin Theatre Company in 2015. It immediately earned Audi Night with praise as “a great and complex production” (The Australian) and went on the Actors to win three Helpmann Awards – including Best Play, Best Direction and Mon 13 Mar and Best Female Actor – as well as a 2016 NSW Premier’s Literary Award. In 2017, Mon 27 Mar post-show STC is proud to be bringing the original production back to a new audience.
Triggered into thrilling motion by an act of revenge, The Bleeding Tree is an Australian murder ballad blown up for the stage, with three strong women fighting back. Throughout, Cerini’s writing is powerfully lyrical, bracingly funny and a highly original take on Australian gothic.
Paula Arundell (Disgraced), Shari Sebbens (Battle of Waterloo) and Airlie Dodds (Tusk Tusk) make a fearsome trio of performers. In the hands of Griffin Theatre Company Artistic Director Lee Lewis and designer Renée Mulder (Battle of Waterloo) this is theatre that is, in all its elements, “brutally brilliant” (Daily Review).
“This is powerful, visceral and deeply exhilarating theatre.” The Guardian Sebbens Shari PRESENTING PARTNER 9 MAR – 8 APR Arundell,
WHARF 1 THEATRE Paula
WARNING: STRONG Dodds, 1HR 15MINS LANGUAGE, ADULT THEMES, #STCBLEEDINGTREE (NO INTERVAL) VIOLENT IMAGERY Airlie
22 Director SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY AND ADSHEL PRESENT Jonathan Biggins Designer Mark Thompson TALK Lighting Designer BY JONATHAN BIGGINS Trent Suidgeest Composer & WORLD PREMIERE Sound Designer Steve Francis
With Don’t follow the story. Be the story. Valerie Bader Helen Christinson Paige Gardiner John Behan is a radio talkback host with a city in the palm of his hand. He Peter Kowitz fills Sydney’s airwaves with easy answers, hard facts be damned. Yesterday, Lucia Mastrantone he overstepped the mark. Today, the police have come knocking. Kenneth Moraleda Andrew Tighe Locking himself in his studio and broadcasting live, John Behan is not Hannah Waterman going to go quietly, even if a life is on the line. Across town, the hunt is John Waters on for a sensational story. One that reveals the truth? Perhaps. One that Ben Wood keeps journalists in a job? More likely.
INSIGHT EVENTS In Talk, writer and director Jonathan Biggins (The Wharf Revue) sets his Pier Group Lunch eyes squarely on modern journalism, social media and the 24-hour news Mon 6 Mar 12pm cycle. When everyone has a megaphone, who’s listening? Pre-season Briefing Mon 27 Mar 6.15pm The charismatic John Waters, fresh from a villainous turn on ABC’s Rake, Wharf 2 Theatre is back at STC for the first time in over a decade. With him is a wonderful cast, including Peter Kowitz (ABC’s Janet King), Valerie Bader (Children of Audi Night with the Sun) and Andrew Tighe (Travelling North). You’ll want to tune in. the Actors Mon 24 Apr and Mon 8 May post-show “Social media’s just talkback radio with a bigger switchboard.” Taffy
SEE p62
PRESENTING PARTNER 3 APR – 20 MAY DRAMA THEATRE, SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE Waters 1HR 40MINS WARNING: STRONG #STCTALK (NO INTERVAL) LANGUAGE, ADULT THEMES John
24 Director SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS Sarah Giles A STATE THEATRE COMPANY SOUTH AUSTRALIA PRODUCTION Designer Jonathon Oxlade Lighting Designer THE POPULAR Mark Pennington Composer/ MECHANICALS Sound Designer/ BY KEITH ROBINSON, WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE Musical Director AND TONY TAYLOR David Heinrich FROM THE ORIGINAL DIRECTION BY GEOFFREY RUSH Choreographer Gabrielle Nankivell
With A funny thing happened on the way to the theatre Lori Bell Julie Forsyth The popular mechanicals are Shakespeare’s greatest clowns – the Charles Mayer endearingly amateur acting ensemble led by Bottom in A Midsummer Amber McMahon Night’s Dream. Here, they take centre-stage in a wild imagining of what Tim Overton goes on in the wings. Rory Walker The troupe is bumbling its way through rehearsals of Pyramus and Thisbe, somehow surviving the misadventures brought on by their own sheer idiocy. The result is a riotously funny mix of Shakespearean verse, songs and dance that is lewd, rude and ingenious. Clowning, vaudeville, slapstick, farce, stand-up comedy and some hilarious puppetry come together to create an unhinged feast of wit and profanity.
First directed by Geoffrey Rush in 1987, The Popular Mechanicals holds a special place in the Australian comedic canon. This revival from State Theatre Company of South Australia, directed by former STC Resident Director Sarah Giles, includes the very fine comic talents of Julie Forsyth (Romeo & Juliet) and Amber McMahon (School Dance). This is a show that will lift the roof in the silliest ways imaginable.
“There are Bottom jokes, poo jokes, giggles and japes. The Popular Mechanicals captures the bawdy spirits of the Elizabethan entertainments.” The Australian
6 APR – 13 MAY
TICKETS WHARF 2 THEATRE $39 / $44 McMahon WARNING: 1HR 35MINS SEXUAL #STCMECHANICALS RECOMMENDED (NO INTERVAL) REFERENCES FOR AGES 13 AND UP Amber
26 Director SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY AND ALLENS PRESENT Paige Rattray Designer Renée Mulder BLACK IS THE NEW WHITE Lighting Designer BY NAKKIAH LUI Ben Hughes Composer & WORLD PREMIERE Sound Designer Steve Toulmin
With Guess who’s coming to dinner? Tony Briggs Luke Carroll Geoff Morrell Charlotte Gibson is a lawyer on the up. She won a landmark Native Title Shari Sebbens case, she’s making her parents proud, she could have her own TV show Anthony Taufa tomorrow. But she has other ideas. First of all, it’s Christmas. Second of all, she’s in love. INSIGHT EVENTS Pre-season Briefing The thing is, her fiancé, Francis Smith, has the whitest name in the world Wed 19 Apr 6.15pm and is an unemployed experimental classical composer. This is not what Wharf 1 Theatre her family expected.
Matinee Club In this deliciously funny romantic comedy, newly commissioned by STC, Wed 17 May 12pm writer Nakkiah Lui shows why she is one of this country’s most in-demand young voices. A writer and star of Black Comedy on ABC, a fearless Audi Night with columnist and an award-winning playwright, Lui writes cutting satire the Actors Mon 22 May and that is both seductively subversive and thoroughly delightful. Mon 5 Jun post-show Paige Rattray (Boys will be boys) directs a wonderful ensemble, featuring Tony Briggs (ABC TV’s Cleverman), Luke Carroll (The Hanging), Shari Sebbens (Battle of Waterloo) and Anthony Taufa (The Golden Age).
“Have you ever thought about what life would have been like if you made the opposite decision to every one you’ve ever made?” Marie
SEE p62
Black is the New White was commissioned with the support of the Malcolm Robertson Foundation. PRESENTING PARTNER 5 MAY – 17 JUN WHARF 1 THEATRE
WARNING: ADULT THEMES, Sebbens 1HR 30MINS STRONG LANGUAGE, NUDITY AND #STCBLACKWHITE (NO INTERVAL) DRUG USE Shari
28 Directors SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY IN ASSOCIATION WITH STATE THEATRE COMPANY SOUTH Robert Icke and AUSTRALIA & BY ARRANGEMENT WITH AMBASSADOR THEATRE GROUP PRESENTS Duncan Macmillan THE HEADLONG, NOTTINGHAM PLAYHOUSE & ALMEIDA THEATRE PRODUCTION Associate Director (Australia) Corey McMahon 1984 Designer BY GEORGE ORWELL Chloe Lamford A NEW ADAPTATION CREATED BY ROBERT ICKE AND Lighting Designer DUNCAN MACMILLAN Natasha Chivers Sound Designer Orwell’s dystopian future is now Tom Gibbons Video Designer Tim Reid April, 1984. 13:00. Comrade 6079, Winston Smith, thinks a thought, starts a diary and falls in love. But Big Brother is always watching. INSIGHT EVENTS Pre-season Briefing Published in 1949, George Orwell’s book helped define the 20th century. Mon 26 Jun 6.15pm Now, 1984 is re-examined in this radical, award-winning international Wharf 2 Theatre theatrical blockbuster seen by more than a quarter of a million people. Audi Night with An exploration of surveillance and identity, 1984 presented a vision of the Actors Mon 3 Jul post-show the future that looks a lot like our present. Orwell’s fiction has become our reality. Described as “masterfully constructed and chillingly frank” (Limelight Magazine), this stage adaptation is a dynamic, political, technology-enhanced dive into Orwell’s complex vision.
Produced by British theatre innovators Headlong along with Nottingham Playhouse and Almeida Theatre, this production’s success has led to multiple seasons on the West End and numerous international festival appearances. With an Australian cast set for a national tour, this is an arresting production not to be missed.
“This compelling incarnation of Orwell’s dystopia makes you gasp.” The Age
Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell (Copyright, 1949) by permission of Bill Hamilton as the Literary Executor of the Estate of the Late Sonia Brownell Orwell, in a new adaptation created by Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan. 28 JUN – 22 JUL ROSLYN PACKER THEATRE
WARNING: 1HRS 40MINS VIOLENCE, STROBE LIGHT, LOUD #STC1984 (NO INTERVAL) SOUND EFFECTS
30 Director SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS Kip Williams Designer CLOUD NINE Elizabeth Gadsby BY CARYL CHURCHILL With Kate Box Harry Greenwood Josh McConville
INSIGHT EVENTS Nobody is quite what they seem Pier Group Lunch Mon 29 May 12pm Following the popular and critical success of Love and Information in 2015, Pre-season Briefing Kip Williams continues his exploration of Caryl Churchill’s plays with Mon 19 Jun 6.15pm her unique masterpiece, Cloud Nine. Wharf 2 Theatre The play begins in colonial Africa, amidst the Victorian constrictions Audi Night with of corset and empire. Betty is a young mother who lives only to please. the Actors Edward is a boy unsure of how to be a man. Around them is an extended Mon 10 Jul and family, in which all are struggling to live and thrive in the clothes they Mon 31 Jul post-show are given and the expectations that come with them.
Matinee Club The play ends in London a century later, but the characters have aged only Wed 12 Jul 12pm 25 years. In the course of time passing, Churchill unpicks the knotted realities of human relationships – between lovers, between siblings, between genders, between generations. Equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking, it is a play about love and work, race and power, identity and sex. As ever, Churchill distils a symphonic array of politics and ideas into living, breathing, tangible characters.
With sets and costumes by STC Resident Designer Elizabeth Gadsby (Disgraced), Cloud Nine sees the return of Harry Greenwood (Love and Information), Kate Box (ABC’s Rake) and Josh McConville (All My Sons) in this profoundly playful and timely production.
“The cleverest, most sexily experimental exercise in ‘compare and contrast’ that British theatre has probably ever seen.” SEE p62 The Telegraph, UK
1 JUL – 12 AUG WHARF 1 THEATRE Greenwood
2HRS 30MINS WARNING: #STCCLOUDNINE (INCLUDING INTERVAL) SEX SCENES, STRONG LANGUAGE Harry
32 Director SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS Paige Rattray Lighting Designer AUSTRALIAN GRAFFITI Sian James-Holland BY DISAPOL SAVETSILA With Airlie Dodds WORLD PREMIERE Peter Kowitz Kenneth Moraleda Srisacd Sacdpraseuth Monica Sayers Back to where we came from INSIGHT EVENTS Pre-season Briefing Ben’s family has uprooted its restaurant business one too many times. Mon 3 Jul 6.15pm Being the only Thai household in a small country town turns out not Wharf 2 Theatre to be a great idea. And when graffiti starts appearing, tensions quickly escalate. Should they go back to Sydney? Should they go back to Matinee Club Thailand? Or should they keep heading west? Wed 19 Jul 12pm Australian Graffiti marks the debut of a remarkable young voice. Disapol Savetsila’s play is an investigation of the migrant experience from the inside out. Teasing out the complexities of identity and belonging, his writing – both wryly humorous and deeply affecting – offers an insight into Australian lives often overlooked.
Developed by STC in partnership with Asian Australian arts company Performance 4a and Playwriting Australia, Australian Graffiti is an STC commission directed by Paige Rattray, who has been part of the play’s evolution since its STC Rough Draft workshop in 2015.
“You can’t stay away from this place. It’s your home.” Ben
SEE p62
7 JUL – 12 AUG
TICKETS WHARF 2 THEATRE $25 / $28 Savetsila
1HR 30MINS WARNING: #STCGRAFFITI (NO INTERVAL) STRONG LANGUAGE Disapol
34 Director SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS Damien Ryan A SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY AND MELBOURNE THEATRE COMPANY PRODUCTION Designer Alicia Clements Lighting Designer THE FATHER Rachel Burke BY FLORIAN ZELLER Composer & TRANSLATED BY CHRISTOPHER HAMPTON Sound Designer Steve Francis AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
With Profoundly moving and darkly comic John Bell Ian Bliss Marco Chiappi A giant of Australian theatre for over 50 years, John Bell makes a very Anita Hegh welcome return to the STC stage for The Father, an extraordinary new play Natasha Herbert which has captivated Paris, London and New York.
INSIGHT EVENTS Now 80 years old, André (John Bell) was once a tap dancer. He lives with Pier Group Lunch his daughter Anne (Anita Hegh) and her husband Antoine. Or was he Mon 17 Jul 12pm an engineer whose daughter Anne lives in London with her new lover, Pierre? Either way, he’s still wearing his pyjamas and he can’t find his Pre-season Briefing Mon 14 Aug 6.15pm watch. He’s starting to wonder if he’s losing control. Wharf 2 Theatre A touching, funny and deeply unsettling mystery, The Father, by French Audi Night with playwright Florian Zeller, is a winner of the Molière Award, France’s most the Actors prestigious honour for a new work of theatre. And its English translation, Mon 4 Sep and by renowned writer Christopher Hampton (Les Liaisons Dangereuses), was Mon 18 Sep post-show The Guardian’s pick for Play of the Year in London, and nominated for two Tony Awards in New York, including Best Play.
Director Damien Ryan, who has met acclaim leading independent theatre company Sport for Jove, brings his skills to STC for the first time in this co-production with Melbourne Theatre Company.
“As sharp and surprising a play as you’ll see all year.” The Times
By special arrangement with Theatre Royal Bath Productions. 19 AUG – 21 OCT WHARF 1 THEATRE Bell 1HR 35MINS #STCFATHER (NO INTERVAL) John
36 Director SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS Imara Savage Designer Elizabeth Gadsby DINNER Lighting Designer BY MOIRA BUFFINI Damien Cooper Composer & Sound Designer Max Lyandvert
With Could you kill someone with a lobster? Caroline Brazier Brandon Burke Ash Ricardo Paige is a socialite extraordinaire with a nasty streak that runs a mile Bruce Spence deep. Tonight, she is reluctantly celebrating her husband’s best-selling book. The usual suspects have been invited for dinner – an artist, a INSIGHT EVENTS scientist and a newsreader amongst them. As the entrées quiver on their Pre-season Briefing plates, a stranger knocks on the door. The night will not end well. Mon 4 Sep 6.15pm Wharf 2 Theatre Moira Buffini’s Dinner is a devilishly black satire on middle-class assumptions. Nominated for an Olivier Award for Best New Comedy, it Audi Night with the Actors will have you laughing hysterically one minute and jumping with shock Mon 25 Sep and the next. The knives are out, but nothing is sharper than the insults. Mon 9 Oct post-show STC Resident Director Imara Savage completes a comedy hat-trick here at STC, following the uproariously funny productions After Dinner and Hay Fever. Leading the fine-dining fireworks is Caroline Brazier (ABC’s Rake), with Brandon Burke (Arms and the Man), Ash Ricardo (Noises Off) and Bruce Spence (The Secret River) joining in for what promises to be a very wicked food fight.
“A delicious feast of comedy at its most heartless and macabre.” The Telegraph, UK
11 SEP – 28 OCT DRAMA THEATRE, SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE Brazier
WARNING: 1HR 40MINS STRONG LANGUAGE, #STCDINNER (NO INTERVAL) ADULT THEMES, VIOLENCE Caroline
38 Director SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS Kip Williams Composer & Sound Designer THREE SISTERS Stefan Gregory BY ANTON CHEKHOV IN A NEW ADAPTATION BY ANDREW UPTON With Brandon McClelland Eryn Jean Norvill Chris Ryan Moscow’s calling INSIGHT EVENTS Pre-season Briefing Wed 18 Oct 6.15pm What if you could start life over again, knowing what you do now? What Wharf 1 Theatre if it were all a rough draft waiting to be rewritten?
Audi Night with Anton Chekhov wrote Three Sisters during the earliest rumblings of the the Actors Russian Revolution. Living at the turn of a new century, his characters are Mon 13 Nov and adrift in uncertain times – holding on to memories of the past, grasping Mon 20 Nov post-show at hopes for the future.
In a remote Russian town, three sisters yearn for Moscow. They dream of freedom, sex, work and romance. Like the migrating birds above them, they long to be elsewhere. Exquisitely layered in its characters and imagery, Three Sisters is a bittersweet time-lapse of life passing. A work full of Chekhov’s acute observations, his playfulness and love of surprise. In short, a masterpiece.
Having created astonishing productions of Tennessee Williams’ Suddenly Last Summer and Arthur Miller’s All My Sons, Kip Williams brings his precise vision to another modern great. Our former Artistic Director Andrew Upton (The Present, Uncle Vanya) returns to adapt Chekhov once more in his inimitable voice. With a cast including award-winner Eryn Jean Norvill (All My Sons), Three Sisters promises to be a riveting performance of an achingly beautiful tale.
“I’ve never been in love. I’ve dreamt of it day and night, but my heart is like a fine piano no one can play because the key is lost.” Irina
6 NOV – 16 DEC DRAMA THEATRE, SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE Norvill
2HRS 30MINS WARNING: #STCTHREESISTERS Jean (INCLUDING INTERVAL) STRONG LANGUAGE Eryn
40 Director SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS Simon Phillips A SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY AND GLOBAL CREATURES PRODUCTION Set & Costume Designer Gabriela Tylesova MURIEL’S WEDDING INSIGHT EVENTS THE MUSICAL Pier Group Lunch BOOK BY PJ HOGAN Tue 3 Oct 12pm MUSIC & LYRICS BY KATE MILLER-HEIDKE & KEIR NUTTALL WITH SONGS BY BENNY ANDERSSON, BJÖRN ULVAEUS Pre-season Briefing & STIG ANDERSON ORIGINALLY WRITTEN FOR ABBA Mon 16 Oct 6.15pm Roslyn Packer Theatre WORLD PREMIERE
Audi Night with Undateable. Unemployable. Unstoppable. the Actors Mon 27 Nov and Mon 4 Dec post-show Muriel Heslop is back! In this highly-anticipated world premiere, the iconic Australian film is set to become an equally iconic laugh-out-loud musical.
Stuck in a dead-end life in Porpoise Spit, Muriel dreams of the perfect wedding – the white dress, the church, the attention. Unfortunately, there’s one thing missing. A groom. Following her dreams to Sydney, Muriel ends up with everything she ever wanted – a man, a fortune and a million Twitter followers. That’s when things start to go really wrong.
The film’s original writer-director PJ Hogan has updated his screenplay into a dazzling new stage show, bringing the story into the present but keeping the irreverence and naughtiness of the film along with its dark edge.
Director Simon Phillips (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead) leads a stellar creative team, with eye-popping sets and costumes from Gabriela Tylesova (Love Never Dies) and original music by award-winning singer-songwriters Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall. With a big cast and a live band, this will be the theatre event of the year.
Tickets won’t last long. Don’t miss out.
Based on the motion picture “You’re terrible, Muriel.” ‘Muriel's Wedding’ written Joanie and directed by PJ Hogan, produced by Lynda House and Jocelyn Moorhouse.
PRESENTING PARTNER 6 NOV – 30 DEC a b ROSLYN PACKER THEATRE STRATEGIC PARTNERS WARNING: STRONG 3HRS LANGUAGE, ADULT THEMES, #STCMURIELSWEDDING (INCLUDING INTERVAL) SEX SCENES
42 ...BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE
Special Offer for our Season Ticket Holders
Season Ticket Holders have exclusive access and discounted tickets for this extra show that is guaranteed to have high demand. Tickets will be snapped up quickly, so get the best available seats before they go on sale to the public.
45 Musical Director SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS Phillip Scott Lighting Designer THE WHARF REVUE 2017 Matthew Marshall WRITTEN AND CREATED BY JONATHAN BIGGINS, With DREW FORSYTHE AND PHILLIP SCOTT Jonathan Biggins Drew Forsythe Phillip Scott
INSIGHT EVENTS Holding the balance of laughter Pier Group Gala Tue 24 Oct 8pm Australians all let us rejoice for the return of The Wharf Revue. The Audi Night with unstoppable comedic minds of Jonathan Biggins, Drew Forsythe and the Actors Phillip Scott have been keeping the nation’s political and cultural Mon 30 Oct and leaders on their metaphorical toes since before Sydney hosted the Mon 18 Dec post-show Olympics.
In 2017, they return with an all-new, up-to-the-minute, fibre-to-the-node dose of side-splitting sketches and rib-tickling songs. (BYO hyphens.) From the highs to the lows, from the good to the bad to the ugly, this will be a parade of the year’s most memorable characters and the moments they’d prefer to forget.
So, whether you want to calm your nerves or double your disillusion, we all need a fresh serve of laughter, dance and foolishness. With The Wharf Revue on its way into town, there truly has never been a more exciting time to be alive.
“So much to enjoy in this brilliant show. What talent. Laughed until I cried!” Wendy Gourlay, audience member al et Scott Phillip
ASSOCIATE PARTNER 25 OCT – 30 DEC Forsythe, Drew WHARF 1 THEATRE Biggins,
1HR 30MINS #STCWHARFREVUE (NO INTERVAL) Jonathan
46 HOW TO BOOK Interim Artistic Director Kip Williams talks about our line-up of plays, how they fit into STC’s vision of a vibrant cultural life for our audiences, and what you can expect in the theatre. Gather these details to book online or complete a paper booking form
Your Season Ticket play choices Your Special Offer choice Date preferences How many program vouchers you'd like Contact information for you and your companions Payment details Find this episode and others at sydneytheatre.com.au/podcast Proof of concession if applicable and subscribe on iTunes for more. Special access requirements if needed
48 49 NEW WRITING & PREMIERES BIG NIGHT OUT New works and fresh adaptations on STC stages Great choices for lovers of stage spectacle, LET US HELP for the first time. special occasions and an unforgettable night. YOU CHOOSE TESTAMENT CHIMERICA TALK BLACK IS THE AWAY CHIMERICA TALK 1984 Use our handy guide to help you create the perfect Season OF MARY NEW WHITE Ticket of 6 to 14 plays. Then add The Wharf Revue special offer.
AUSTRALIAN THE FATHER THREE MURIEL’S DINNER THREE MURIEL’S GRAFFITI SISTERS WEDDING SISTERS WEDDING
THE FUNNY THE GREAT DEBATE Rollicking farces, sharp satires and quick-witted If you love a good post-show debrief, these plays comedies that will suit many and varied tastes. will spark lively conversation.
THE POPULAR BLACK IS THE CLOUD NINE DINNER TESTAMENT CHIMERICA THE BLEEDING TALK MECHANICALS NEW WHITE OF MARY TREE
THE WHARF MURIEL’S 1984 CLOUD NINE AUSTRALIAN THE FATHER REVUE WEDDING GRAFFITI
THE AWARD-WINNERS AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE SHORT ’N’ SWEET BRING THE TEENS The brilliance of these plays has been Celebrate local playwriting with these These plays with no interval give you more time Plays with lots of appeal for younger audiences.* recognised with a raft of awards. home-grown stories. for a post-theatre yarn.
AWAY CHIMERICA THE BLEEDING 1984 AWAY THE BLEEDING TALK THE POPULAR TESTAMENT THE BLEEDING TALK THE POPULAR AWAY CHIMERICA THE POPULAR 1984 TREE TREE MECHANICALS OF MARY TREE MECHANICALS MECHANICALS
* See warnings on play pages CLOUD NINE THE FATHER DINNER BLACK IS THE AUSTRALIAN THE WHARF MURIEL’S 1984 AUSTRALIAN THE FATHER DINNER AUSTRALIAN THREE and more info about content NEW WHITE GRAFFITI REVUE WEDDING GRAFFITI GRAFFITI SISTERS on pg 64.
50 51 HOW TO BOOK NEW & IMPROVED YOUR SEASON TICKET FEATURES Once you’ve explored further information about the season We’re constantly working to make booking your Season on our website and chosen your plays, book online, or send Ticket easier, faster and as smooth as possible. This year, take your form by post. advantage of these new features.
PRINT YOUR TICKETS AT HOME A new way to get your tickets fast! You BOOK ONLINE BOOK BY POST can choose to have your tickets mailed, or you can The quickest way to book is online. You can Fill in your Season Ticket booking form, mailed print your tickets at home. If you choose the ‘print at select your plays and seats and add your in your pack or downloadable at home’ option when booking online or on your paper companion’s details. sydneytheatre.com.au/2017 and post it to our booking form, we will email your tickets as a PDF. Box Office. The method of choice for nearly half of our You will need to print them out, one ticket per page. Season Ticket Holders, our online booking Sydney Theatre Company Bring your print out to the theatre to be scanned at the system is swift, secure, convenient and 2017 Season Tickets door (see left). confirmed on the spot. Reply Paid 85302 Strawberry Hills NSW 2012 Please note, this option is is not available for large Go to sydneytheatre.com.au/2017 to get started. group bookings of 10+ people, or bookings that Please note: Due to credit card security requirements, include concession tickets. we no longer accept bookings by email.
BOOKING MORE TWILIGHT USE EXISTING SAVE & RETURN TO EARLY IS GOOD PERFORMANCES COMPANION DETAILS YOUR BOOKING If you’re using the Due to popular demand, When renewing your When booking online, you can paper booking we have increased the number of 6.30pm Season Ticket online, now save your play selection and form, send it as soon as possible. We twilight performances through the year. you’ll be able to access your companion details and return to process paper bookings in order of Most Mon and Tue performances are now companion’s contact details from last year. finish your booking later. receipt. Renewals are processed first, and at 6.30pm. Check the website and calendar new Season Tickets are processed from for available dates. Also, ensure you check Saves you having to enter them all again – handy! No more need to worry about a time limit! Wed 19 Oct 2016. your tickets when they arrive! (NB: Your dates and seats cannot be saved.)
52 53 TICKET PRICES Choose 6 to 14 plays from our main season to create your EXTRA SINGLE TICKET PRICES We know you enjoy sharing theatre as much as we do. We offer these discounted prices to Season Ticket. Season Ticket Holders so you can spread the love. Purchase extra single tickets for friends and introduce new people to the STC experience.
SEASON TICKET PRICES Play Preview Sat Adult Seniors Concession Under 30 Season Ticket Holders save at least 20% on full price single tickets. Due to popular demand Evening Cardholder and limited capacity we charge a flat rate for Saturday evenings and preview performances. Muriel’s Wedding $70 $104 $94 $86 $76 $70 1984 $68 $94 $88 $80 $70 $68 Main Season Plays Preview Sat Adult Seniors Concession Under 30 Away $68 $94 $88 $80 $70 $68 Evening Cardholder Chimerica $68 $94 $88 $80 $70 $68 Muriel’s Wedding $63 $95 $86 $77 $68 $63 Dinner $68 $94 $88 $80 $70 $68 1984 $61 $84 $79 $72 $63 $61 Talk $68 $94 $88 $80 $70 $68 Away $61 $84 $79 $72 $63 $61 The Father $68 $94 $88 $80 $70 $68 Chimerica $61 $84 $79 $72 $63 $61 Three Sisters $68 $94 $88 $80 $70 $68 Dinner $61 $84 $79 $72 $63 $61 Black is the New White $67 $88 $84 $76 $67 $67 Talk $61 $84 $79 $72 $63 $61 Cloud Nine $67 $88 $84 $76 $67 $67 The Father $61 $84 $79 $72 $63 $61 The Testament of Mary $49 $67 $63 $58 $49 $49 Three Sisters $61 $84 $79 $72 $63 $61 The Bleeding Tree $44 $49 $49 $49 $49 $44 Black is the New White $60 $79 $75 $68 $60 $60 The Popular Mechanicals $44 $49 $49 $49 $49 $44 Cloud Nine $60 $79 $75 $68 $60 $60 Australian Graffiti $28 $32 $32 $32 $32 $28 The Testament of Mary $44 $60 $56 $52 $44 $44 The Bleeding Tree $39 $44 $44 $44 $44 $39 The Popular Mechanicals $39 $44 $44 $44 $44 $39 Australian Graffiti $25 $28 $28 $28 $28 $25
SPECIAL OFFER Booking a group theatre Access and special seating Concessions and Under 30s outing? requirements You can purchase a concession Take advantage of this exclusive discount offer for Season Ticket Holders and get the best available You can book online easily If you have access or special if you are an Australian full- seats before tickets go on sale to the public. for groups of up to 10 people. seating requirements, please time student, an Australian If you’re booking for more post your booking form to us. Pensioner or if you receive Special Offer Play Preview Sat Adult Seniors Concession Under 30 than 10, contact Box Office or We will specially select tickets unemployment benefits. Evening Cardholder download a group booking to suit your needs, as these Proof of age for Under 30s, or form from the website. seats are unable to be booked concession, must be provided The Wharf Revue $54 $61 $61 $54 $49 $54 online. at the time of booking.
54 55 VENUES AND ACCESS KEY DATES FOR OUR THEATRES AND ACCESSIBILITY AT STC OUR LOCAL GUIDE STC caters for a wide range of access and special YOUR DIARY Our shows are presented across four seating requirements through our Box Office harbourside theatres. and during your visit. This includes audio described performances, hearing enhancement THU 8 SEP 2016 SEP 2017 Season announced. Wharf 1 and Wharf 2 Theatres and headsets, captioned performances, Auslan Sydney Theatre Company interpreted performances and wheelchair The Wharf, Pier 4 access. Guide dogs are welcome. TUE 13 SEP 2016 Hickson Road Priority booking window opens for renewing Season Ticket Holders. Walsh Bay If you have access or special seating requirements, please post your booking form to Roslyn Packer Theatre us. We will specially select tickets to suit your OCT MON 3 OCT 2016 22 Hickson Road needs, as these seats are unable to be booked Are you mailing your booking form? We recommend getting it in the post Walsh Bay online. Please specify your requirements at the now so we’re sure to receive it by Tue 11 Oct. time of booking to make use of our services. TUE 11 OCT 2016 Audio Described Performances Priority booking window ends for renewing Season Ticket Holders. Drama Theatre For blind and vision impaired patrons, we will Sydney Opera House have audio described performances of Away, WED 19 OCT 2016 Chimerica, Talk, 1984, Dinner, Three Sisters and Bennelong Point Season Tickets go on sale to everyone. Muriel’s Wedding.
Captioned Performances MON 5 DEC 2016 For information on parking, public transport In 2017, we will offer captioned performances of DEC Single tickets go on sale for The Testament of Mary, Away, Chimerica, and dining options visit our website. Away, Chimerica, Talk, 1984, Dinner, Three Sisters The Bleeding Tree, Talk, The Popular Mechanicals and Black is the New White. sydneytheatre.com.au/yourvisit and Muriel’s Wedding. Book all 14 plays in our season by 5 Dec and receive a free ticket as a thank you. For walking tours and other points of interest, Auslan Interpreted Performances check out our guide to the local area. We have In 2017, we will offer Auslan interpreted Book by 5 Dec and go into the draw to win a luxury experience. See pg 7 curated a selection of our favourite things in performances of Away, Talk, Dinner, Three Sisters for details. Walsh Bay, The Rocks and Circular Quay for and Muriel’s Wedding. Please note, if you require your convenience, and to assist you to have the Auslan interpreted performances and are best possible visit to STC. attending all on offer, you are entitled to Season FRI 30 DEC 2016 sydneytheatre.com.au/localguide Ticket discounts. Complete your booking form Deadline for purchasing a Season Ticket using the instalment payment with the plays and dates as marked on the option. See the booking form for details. calendar.
Dates for all access shows are on the 2017 MON 13 FEB 2017 Calendar and at sydneytheatre.com.au/access, FEB Single tickets go on sale for 1984, Cloud Nine, Australian Graffiti, The Father, where you will also find more information. If Dinner, The Wharf Revue and Three Sisters. you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us so we can ensure your comfort and enjoyment. (02) 9250 1777 MON 13 MAR 2017 [email protected] MAR Single tickets go on sale for Muriel’s Wedding.
56 57 STC AND JOIN OUR DONOR FAMILY “I took my granddaughter to the theatre and she was, in her words, THE COMMUNITY blown away. Her gasp of surprise showed just how involved she had become. We had great conversations as we travelled home. SUPPORTING ARTISTS AND Actor Luke Carroll visits STC's School Drama at his DEVELOPING NEW WORK old school, Plunkett Street Public, Woolloomooloo Thank you for making a wonderful night of theatre for us.” Sydney Theatre Company has a proud heritage NOLA WALLACE, AUDIENCE MEMBER as a creative hub and incubator for Australian theatre and theatre-makers. Each year we offer a range of programs, awards, fellowships and residencies that contribute to developing, supporting and producing new works by 5% 7% Australian artists. Building Project Donations 7% Donations Our Resident Director Imara Savage and Resident Project Grants Designer Elizabeth Gadsby work on numerous productions in our season, as well as playing 7% Do you know that ticket sales key roles in the day-to-day artistic life of the Core only cover 64% of STC’s annual income? Company. Government Funding An additional 36% needs to be raised each year so we can continue to work with We also support and celebrate playwrights and new writing with the Patrick White Playwrights’ Australia’s most talented artists, to bring Award and Fellowship. The Award goes to an STC EDUCATION 7% you the highest quality theatre. Corporate unproduced new Australian play. In 2016, Our Education program provides enriching Partnerships Neil Levi won the award for his play Kin. The and unique opportunities for students, teachers 64% Fellowship supports established Australian and lifelong learners to engage with theatre Ticket sales playwrights and includes a commission to on stage, in the classroom, online and in the JOIN US community. 3% Add a gift with your booking write a new play. Tommy Murphy is our Other Revenue current Patrick White Playwrights’ Fellow. form, or donate online at These include School Drama™, our teacher sydneytheatre.com/donate STC always has numerous new works under professional learning program for primary commission and in development. In 2017, school teachers, our immersive Work Australian Graffiti, Black is the New White, Experience Week for Year 10 and 11 students and Talk and the new adaptation of Three Sisters Young Wharfies, a year-long program for future are STC commissions. theatre-makers.
Our Rough Draft creative developments give We are proactive about improving access and artists time and space to try new ideas, methods providing subsidies so more students and and collaborations in the making of new work. teachers can be enriched by creative learning, See pg 12 for more information about Rough whether through experiencing high-quality Drafts and the free public showings that take theatre, utilising extensive digital resources, or As a donor, you sit at the very heart of what we do. Together, you help to raise over $2 million dollars place at the end of the workshops. making imaginative leaps in the classroom. each year in support of Australian theatre, its actors, writers, directors, craftspeople, technicians and artists. Thank you. For more info visit Find out more or request a dedicated education For more information contact the STC Foundation: sydneytheatre.com.au/informationforartists brochure at sydneytheatre.com.au/education (02) 9250 1715 [email protected]
58 59 The perfect destination for a pre- or post-show conversation with friends. Soak up sweeping harbour views as you choose from a seasonal menu, daily specials inspired by STC productions, specialty wines and cocktails and locally crafted beer and cider. Indulge in an intimate dining experience at Roslyn The venue is also available for hire for your special occasion. Packer Theatre, and enjoy the innovative modern menu sydneytheatre.com.au/thebar designed by head chef Kay Hwang.
Book your two or three course pre-theatre meal on 1300 368 801 or sydneytheatre.com.au/walshbaykitchen See website for opening hours and details. THANK YOU PARTNERS Capital Renewal Program Sydney Theatre Company celebrates the support We gratefully acknowledge the leadership gifts for the initial phase of STC’s Capital Renewal Program. of our valued partners.
The Paradice W & A Johnson Family Foundation Family Foundation Major Partners
STC Foundation Chair Ann Johnson Directors Lucinda Aboud, Anita Belgiorno- Ms Rebel Penfold-Russell oam, Robert Purves am, Paul Nettis, Cate Blanchett, John Connolly, Mandy Foley, Judi Robertson am & Lenore Robertson, The Throsby Family, Carla Hausmann, Frances Ingham, Justin Miller, Heather Mitchell, Zampatti ac Gretel Packer, Paul Robertson am, Anne Schofield am, Alex Schuman Government Support $15,000 - $24,999 Anonymous, Mr Neil Balnaves ao, Catherine & Phillip Brenner, STC Life Patrons Ms Rowena Danziger am & Mr Ken Coles am, Davies Family STC would like to acknowledge the following individuals and Foundation, Mr Robert Hansen & Dr Annabelle Farnsworth, foundations who have demonstrated their deep and enduring Judi Hausmann, Kimberley & Angus Holden, Liz & Walter Sydney Theatre Company is supported by Sydney Theatre Company is assisted by the Australian Government engagement with STC. Their length of association and level of Lewin, Charlotte & Adrian MacKenzie, Maple-Brown Family the NSW Government through Arts NSW through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body financial support has helped build the theatre company we are today. Foundation Ltd, Ruth Ritchie, Mr Ian Saines, Helen Silver ao & Harrison Young, Dick & Pip Smith Foundation, Mr Fred Street am Anonymous, Mr Giorgio Armani, The Caledonia Foundation, & Mrs Dorothy Street, Geoff & Henrietta Summerhayes, TAG Presenting Partners Crown Resorts Foundation, Ian and Min Darling, Vincent Family Foundation, The Hon Malcolm Turnbull mp & Lucy Fairfax Family Foundation, Julie and Stephen Fitzgerald, Hughes Turnbull ao, Vaux Family Education & Learning David Gonski ac and Orli Wargon oam, John and Frances Foundation, Will & Jane Vicars, Peter & Susan Young, Ingham, W & A Johnson Family Foundation, Mark and Emmanuel & Gina Ziino Anne Lazberger, Danita Lowes and David Fite, Minderoo b Foundation, Catriona and Simon Mordant am, Ilse and a Cameron O’Reilly, Origin Foundation, Gretel Packer, Roslyn Chairman’s Council Packer ac, Packer Family Foundation, The Paradice Family Anonymous, Mr Neil Balnaves ao, Catherine & Phillip Brenner, Foundation, The Pier Group (Chair Anne Schofield am), Shi Ms Rowena Danziger am & Mr Ken Coles am, Davies Family Associate Partners Family Foundation, Andrew Stuart, Kim Williams am and Foundation, Mr Robert Hansen & Dr Annabelle Farnsworth, Catherine Dovey, Upton Blanchett Family, Carla Zampatti ac Judi Hausmann, Kimberley & Angus Holden, Liz & Walter Lewin, Charlotte & Adrian MacKenzie, Maple-Brown Family Foundation Ltd, Ruth Ritchie, Mr Ian Saines, Helen Silver ao & Major Donors Harrison Young, Dick & Pip Smith Foundation, Mr Fred Street Frances Allan and Ian Narev, Anita & Luca Belgiorno-Nettis am & Mrs Dorothy Street, Geoff & Henrietta Summerhayes, Season Partners Foundation, Crown Resorts Foundation, John & Frances TAG Family Foundation, The Hon Malcolm Turnbull mp & Ingham, W & A Johnson Family Foundation, Mark & Anne Lucy Hughes Turnbull ao, Vaux Family Education & Learning Lazberger, Danita R. Lowes & David M. Fite, The Neilson Foundation, Will & Jane Vicars, Peter & Susan Young Foundation, Gretel Packer, Packer Family Foundation, The Paradice Family Foundation, Petre Foundation, Upton Blanchett Family $10,000 - $14,999 Roslyn Packer Theatre Sponsor Anonymous, Wayne Adams in memory of Liz O’Neill oam, Robert Albert ao & Libby Albert, Ruth Armytage am, Philip $50,000 - $99,999 Bacon am, Ms Jillian Broadbent ao, Louise Christie, Anne & David Gonski ac & Orli Wargon oam, Catriona & Simon David Craig, Edward & Diane Federman, Mrs Megan Grace, Mordant am, The Raymond E Purves Foundation, Kim Karen Moses, Natasha Nankivell, PlayfairTan, John & Amber Williams am & Catherine Dovey Symond, Michael & Eleonora Triguboff, Sarah Whyte, Dr J.Yiannikas Corporate Supporters $25,000 - $49,999 Anonymous, Lucinda Aboud, The Caledonia Foundation, COzero Flick Anticimex Pest Control & Hygiene Hospitality Management Australia iKOU Tourism & Transport Forum Robert Cameron ao & Paula Cameron, Michael Carapiet & Helen Carapiet, John & Julie Connolly, Ian & Min Darling, Throughout the brochure this symbol denotes Denton Family Foundation, Julie & Stephen Fitzgerald, Keith & productions that need the support of our donor For further information please contact Maureen Kerrdige, Prudence MacLeod, Mrs Roslyn Packer ac, family in 2017. Rebecca Cuschieri, Director Partnerships on (02) 9250 1995.
62 63 CONTACT DETAILS Box Office A note about content and warnings Sydney Theatre Company Please note that our productions may include The Wharf smoke effects, smoking on stage, strobe effects, Pier 4 Hickson Road nudity, strong language, loud sound effects and Walsh Bay NSW 2000 Australia music, adult themes and imagery or themes that Telephone (612) 9250 1777 may be triggering for some people. Where we Toll-Free 1800 467 993 (non-metro NSW) have information about the production now, [email protected] we have included warnings on each production sydneytheatre.com.au page. At the time of performance we will also provide updated notice in the foyers of our Administration theatres and on our website. PO Box 777 Millers Point NSW 2000 Australia To ensure you have the most up-to-date Telephone (612) 9250 1700 information about our productions, ensure you are opted in to receive our enewsletter and pre- Brochure credits show emails by including your email address on Design concept and art direction your booking form or when booking online. Collider Design Hon Boey and Christine Messinesi Season Ticket Competition Printer For all prize details and full terms and Special T conditions, please visit sydneytheatre.com.au/ competition. The competition is open until Photography credits 5pm, 5 December 2016. You must have booked Production Photography and paid for a Sydney Theatre Company 2017 James Green Season Ticket before 5pm, 5 December 2016 Photography styling and be at least 18 years of age to enter. All 2017 Elizabeth Gadsby and Hannah Lobelson Season Ticket Holders at 5pm, 5 December 2016 Hair and makeup will automatically be entered into the draw. Kelly Tapp, Isabella Schimid, Annette McKenzie Total maximum prize value is $1,240. The prizes are not transferable or redeemable for cash 1984 image courtesy of Headlong or other goods or services. The prize will be Dinner floral art by Dr Cooper drawn at 9am, 6 December 2016 at the Sydney The Popular Mechanicals Shane Reid Theatre Company, The Wharf, Pier 4 Hickson SHARE YOUR STC ADVENTURES Road, Walsh Bay NSW 2000, (02) 9250 1700. Hon Boey pg 10, 11, 12, 13, 53, 58 The winners will be notified on 7 December We love hearing about your Daniel Boud pg 14, 61 2016 by phone or email. NSW Permit number theatre adventures. Share yours James Green pg 3, 56 LTPM/16/00633. with us. Cynthia Sciberras pg 56 Wang Song / Shutterstock pg 4 Details in this book are correct at time of publication, Aug 2016. Grant Sparkes-Carroll pg 44, 50 Sydney Theatre Company reserves the right to add, withdraw or Prudence Upton pg 48 substitute artists and to vary the program and prices. Full terms and conditions of sale available at our website. Beau Weti / Diimex pg 2 Tag #sydneytheatreco Follow @sydneytheatreco Stephanie Zappala Bryant pg 6, 8, 65 Sydney Theatre Company Walsh Bay Kitchen pg 60 is a proud member of AMPAG
64