'Sybylla Melvyn is the smartest, funniest, most outrageous teenager Australia has ever witnessed. Just ask her.
'She’s growing up in the 90s – the 1890s, that is – where life doesn’t throw a lot of options at a girl. But life didn’t reckon on Sybylla. Forced to choose between romance and her own genius, her family and a future she defines, she’s decided she’s having it all.
'Miles Franklin’s novel My Brilliant Career still pulsates with the wild electric energy that made it such a sensation a century ago, and this new adaptation channels that fire into a high-energy musical. It’s a makeover that transforms one of our most enduring literary figures into a heroine for this very moment, while retaining all the wit and charm that has made this such a timeless work.
'A live soundtrack that’s equal parts contemporary pop, folksy bush band and raucous pub rock will translate the untameable spirit of Sybylla into a live theatre experience to blow the ceiling off.
'Adapted by music theatre’s most dynamic duo Mathew Frank and Dean Bryant alongside Sheridan Harbridge, with a cast led by Kala Gare (SIX), this world premiere is directed by our own Artistic Director Anne-Louise Sarks.' (Production summary)
Presented by Melbourne Theatre Company. World premiere performed at Southbank Theatre : 7 November - 18 December 2024.
Director: Anne-Louise Sarks.
Music: Mathew Frank.
Musical Director: Victoria Falconer.
Set and Costume Designer: Marg Horwell.
Lighting Designer: Matt Scott.
Cast: Cameron Bajraktarevic-Hayward (Frank) and Kala Gare (Sybylla Melvyn).