9175863771719344758.jpg
'Abigail (Catherine Văn-Davies), a teenager dealing with her parents’ messy separation, follows the mysterious young girl Beatie Bow (Sofia Nolan) back through time – from the hustle and bustle of Sydney’s The Rocks in the present day to the year 1873, when the suburb was full of struggling immigrant families, gangsters and a whole host of larger-than-life characters. With the help of Beatie, her wise grandmother, and the whole Bow family, Abigail goes on a wild adventure through twisting alleyways of history in a race to find her way home.
'This moving human story is set in and around the real-life suburb that STC calls home and will overflow with history, song and sparkling humour. Grandparents, parents and teenagers will all find something to love in this family story – a combination of Mulvany’s characteristic warmth and vivacity and Williams’ monumental vision.' (Production summary)
World premiere produced by Sydney Theatre Company and performed at Wharf 1 Theatre, 22 February - 1 May, 2021.
Director: Kip Williams.
Set Designer: David Fleischer.
Costume Designer: Renée Mulder.
Lighting Designer: Nick Schlieper.
Composer & Sound Designer: Clemence Williams.
Choral Director: Natalie Goonaratne.
Dramaturg: Courtney Stewart.
Assistant Director: Kenneth Moraleda.
Cast: Tony Cogin, Sofia Nolan, Guy Simon, and Catherine Văn-Davies.
'A joyful production to appeal delightfully to young and old.'
'Ruth Park’s novels were as much about Sydney as the people who live there. In Park’s famous The Harp in the South trilogy, the slums of Surry Hills are almost as lively and characterful as the Darcy family, whose story it relates. In Playing Beatie Bow, the changing face of The Rocks underpins every part of the narrative.' (Introduction)
'Ruth Park’s novels were as much about Sydney as the people who live there. In Park’s famous The Harp in the South trilogy, the slums of Surry Hills are almost as lively and characterful as the Darcy family, whose story it relates. In Playing Beatie Bow, the changing face of The Rocks underpins every part of the narrative.' (Introduction)
'A joyful production to appeal delightfully to young and old.'
