Presented by State Theatre Company and Envestra
By Ray Lawler


All good things must come to an end...
 

For the first time in almost twenty years Ray Lawler’s iconic Australian drama will grace the Dunstan Playhouse stage. Crackling with earthy humour, the play evokes the sense of possibility and simple optimism in post-World War II Australia. But it is its universal story of love, heartache and hope that makes ‘The Doll’ one of the theatrical canon’s most moving explorations of the fading of youth and dreams.

Every summer for sixteen years, cane cutters Barney and Roo have come back from Queensland to suburban Melbourne to share their holidays with barmaids Nancy and Olive.

This year though, the cycle is broken. Nancy has married and Olive has lined up Pearl to take her place. Each one of the four must face questions about the kind of life they really want and whether, perhaps, there is something new and vital to be found by the breaking of old patterns.

State Theatre Company Artistic Director Geordie Brookman teams once again with leading man Chris Pitman (Babyteeth, Speaking in Tongues, Toy Symphony, Cloudstreet) to shed new light on one of the great pillars of our national theatre, which celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2015.

The production will premiere in Adelaide before transferring to Sydney’s Glen Street Theatre.