| The Secret River | |
| Premiere: | 8 January 2013 |
| Place: | Sydney Theatre |
| Orig Lang: | English |
| Subject: | The Secret River by Kate Grenville |
| Genre: | Drama |
The Secret River is a play by Australian playwright Andrew Bovell,[1] based upon the 2005 novel of the same name by Kate Grenville. It premiered in Sydney on 8 August 2013.
Narrated by Dhirrumbin, 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.
The play was first produced by the Sydney Theatre Company (STC).[2]
Choreographer and then artistic director for Bangarra Dance Theatre, Stephen Page, was artistic associate for the production.[2]
The STC production of The Secret River had its world premiere on 8 January 2013 at the Sydney Theatre[3] as part of Sydney Festival.[2] The cast included Nathaniel Dean, Trevor Jamieson, Daniel Henshall, Miranda Tapsell, and Ursula Yovich.[3]
A 2016 remount toured Sydney,[4] Melbourne,[5] and Brisbane.[6]
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.[7] The show was a record-breaking success, selling out all performances over its 18 nights, with an audience of 800 each night.[8]
It was scheduled to tour to Edinburgh International Festival and the Royal National Theatre in London in 2019.[2]
The cast for the 2013 production included:[9]
| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 13th Helpmann Awards[10] | Best Play | ||
| Best New Australian Work | ||||
| Best Direction of a Play | Neil Armfield | |||
| Best Male Actor in a Play | Nathaniel Dean | |||
| Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play | Colin Moody | |||
| Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play | Miranda Tapsell | |||
| Best Original Score | Iain Grandage | |||
| Best Musical Direction | Iain Grandage | |||
| Best Costume Design | Tess Schofield | |||
| Best Scenic Design | Stephen Curtis | |||
| Best Lighting Design | Mark Howett | |||