The Secret River is a play by Australian playwright Andrew Bovell, based upon the novel of the same name by Kate Grenville.
The Secret River | |
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Written by | Andrew Bovell |
Date premiered | 8 January 2013 |
Place premiered | Sydney Theatre |
Original language | English |
Subject | The Secret River by Kate Grenville |
Genre | Drama |
Synopsis edit
Narrated by Dhirrumbin (originally played by Ursula Yovich), the drama is about a man who is exiled from London in the eighteenth century, and is sent with his family to a penal colony in the Hawkesbury River, New South Wales, where he hopes to make a new start, but its Indigenous inhabitants, the Dharug people, are not willing to give up their land.
Performances edit
Produced by the Sydney Theatre Company, the play was first performed on 8 January 2013 at the Sydney Theatre.
A 2016 remount toured Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.
In March 2017, a co-production of the State Theatre Company of South Australia and the Sydney Theatre Company, co-directed by Neil Armfield and Geordie Brookman, was staged at Anstey Hill Quarry as part of the Adelaide Festival.[1] The show was a record-breaking success, selling out all performances over its 18 nights, with an audience of 800 each night.[2]
Characters edit
English settlers edit
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Dharug people edit
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Original cast edit
- Nathaniel Dean - William Thornhill
- Anita Hegh - Sal Thornhill
- Jeremy Sims - Smasher Sullivan
- Colin Moody - Thomas Blackwood
- Ursula Yovich - Dhirrumbin/Dulla Djin
- Miranda Tapsell - Gillyagan/Muruli
- Bruce Spence - Loveday
- Bailey Doomadgee and Kamil Ellis - Garraway
- Lachlan Elliott and Callum McManis - Willie Thornhill
- Rory Potter and Tom Usher - Dick Thornhill
- Roy Gordon - Yalamundi
- Daniel Henshall - Dan Oldfield
- Ethel-Anne Gundy – Buryia
- Trevor Jamieson - Ngalamalum
- Rhimi Johnson Page - Wangarra/Branyimala
- Judith McGrath - Mrs Herring
- James Slee - Narabi
- Matthew Sunderland - Sagitty Birtles/ Captain Suckling/Turnkey
- Source:[3]
Awards and nominations edit
Helpmann awards edit
Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
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2013 | 13th Helpmann Awards[4] | Best Play | Won | |
Best New Australian Work | Won | |||
Best Direction of a Play | Neil Armfield | Won | ||
Best Male Actor in a Play | Nathaniel Dean | Nominated | ||
Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play | Colin Moody | Won | ||
Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play | Miranda Tapsell | Nominated | ||
Best Original Score | Iain Grandage | Won | ||
Best Musical Direction | Iain Grandage | Won | ||
Best Costume Design | Tess Schofield | Nominated | ||
Best Scenic Design | Stephen Curtis | Nominated | ||
Best Lighting Design | Mark Howett | Nominated |
References edit
- ^ "The Secret River". AusStage. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
- ^ Cameron, Ben (31 March 2017). "The rags-to-riches tale behind Anstey Hill quarry, spectacular stage of Adelaide Festival's record-breaking The Secret River". Adelaide Now. Messenger. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
- ^ "Perth Festival 2013 - The Secret River" (PDF). Perth Festival 2013. Retrieved 8 August 2013.
- ^ "Helpmann Awards > Winners". HelpmannAwards.com.au. Archived from the original on 13 August 2013. Retrieved 3 August 2013.