Following its critically acclaimed season at Griffin Theatre Company, one of Australia’s greatest plays still startlingly relevant today, Katherine Thomson’s Diving for Pearls will play at the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre from 1 November, before heading to Parramatta’s Riverside Theatres from 8 November 2017.
Painting a searing portrait of Wollongong in the 80s, Diving for Pearls exposes the continuing ramifications of the political decisions of the time, which planted seeds of divide we continue to witness today. Darren Yap directs Helpmann Award-winning actor Ursula Yovich in a story about aspiration, reinvention and the desire to be our own agents of change.
With the town she grew up in changing all around her, Barbara (Yovich) is determined to change with it. Hopeful of a way out, she sets her sights on landing a job at one of the new resorts popping up. Meanwhile her partner Den (Steve Rodgers) must also reinvent himself to survive, when the steelworks where he has worked his whole life is sold.
“Katherine Thomson is one of the best writers in the country,” says Artistic Director of Griffin Theatre Company Lee Lewis. “Her gaze is unwavering and this play has a heart of the like we don’t often see. It quietly questions who we want to be in the complicated future of this country.”
Ursula Yovich is one of Australia’s most versatile actors. Her recent mainstage credits include acclaimed performances in Sydney Theatre Company’s Power Plays, The Golden Age and Love and Information. Other notable stage roles include Queensland Theatre’s Mother Courage and Her Children, Belvoir’s A Christmas Carol and her Helpmann Award-winning performance in Capricornia.
Steve Rodgers embedded himself in audiences’ memories with his role in Griffin Theatre Company’s 8 Gigabytes of Hardcore Pornography. Other recent stage credits include Sydney Theatre Company’s Power Plays and Belvoir’s Jasper Jones and A Christmas Carol, as well as an extensive list of film and TV credits.
Director: Darren Yap Featuring: Michelle Doake, Jack Finsterer, Steve Rodgers, Ebony Vagulans, Ursula Yovich Set & Costume Designer: James Browne Lighting Designer: Benjamin Brockman Composition & Sound Design: Max Lambert & Roger Lock Stage Manager: Cara Woods
Diving for Pearls
Bruce Gordon Theatre – Illawarra Performing Arts Centre, 32 Burelli Street, Wollongong
Season: 1 – 5 November 2017
Information and Bookings: www.merrigong.com.au
Lennox Theatre – Riverside Theatres, Corner Church and Market Streets, Parramatta
Season: 8 – 11 November 2017
Information and Bookings: www.riversideparramatta.com.au
Image: Ursula Yovich stars in Diving for Pearls – photo by Brett Boardman