Letters to Lindy

Letters to Lindy - Lindy ChamberlainFilled with humour and heartbreak, Letters to Lindy by award-winning playwright Alana Valentine explores our fascination with one of 20th Century Australia’s most iconic figures.

There are three things that have divided this nation right down the centre. Conscription, Gough Whitlam and Lindy Chamberlain. Her story captivated a nation. A mother accused of murdering her child, her claim – that the baby was taken by a dingo – denied and discredited by zealous police and a flawed legal system. The media circus, the rumours, the mob mentality, and a nation’s prejudices laid bare.

Over three decades, from baby Azaria’s death to the final coroner’s report, the public wrote more than 20,000 letters to Lindy Chamberlain. From sympathy to abuse, marriage proposals to death threats, letters from children, and letters from those who have lost a child, these letters traverse the gamut of human responses to Lindy’s story.

Letters to Lindy draws on this correspondence, as well as extensive interviews with Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton herself, to create an enthralling, moving, and long overdue dialogue between Lindy and the nation.

Commissioned by Merrigong Theatre Company and directed by Darren Yap (Ladies Day, Miracle City), Letters to Lindy features Jeannette Cronin (Crownies, Janet King, Rake) as Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton, alongside Glenn Hazeldine, Phillip Hinton and Jane Phegan.

“Merrigong Theatre Company is immensely proud of our ongoing commitment to commissioning and developing new Australian theatre work, and Letters to Lindy is no exception,” says Merrigong Theatre Company artistic director and CEO Simon Hinton. “This is a brand-new take on an iconic Australian story, and is a brilliant example of what is possible in Australian theatre. We can’t wait to share it with our audiences.”

Touching and authentic, Letters to Lindy provides a deep insight into one of the most compelling legal and human dramas of our times. It paints a singular portrait of the heartbreak, wisdom and resilience of a grieving mother and her 30-year fight for justice.

Director: Darren Yap Featuring: Jeanette Cronin, Glenn Hazeldine, Phillip Hinton, Jane Phegan Designer: James Browne Co-Composer/Sound Designers: Max Lambert, Roger Lock Lighting Designer: Toby Knyvett

Letters to Lindy
Bruce Gordon Theatre – Illawarra Performing Arts Centre, 32 Burelli Street, Wollongong
Season: 26 July – 6 August 2016
Information and Bookings: www.merrigong.com.au

The Playhouse – Canberra Theatre Centre, London Circuit, Canberra
Season: 9 – 13 August 2016
Information and Bookings: www.canberratheatrecentre.com.au

Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre, Bridge Road, Nowra
Performance: Tuesday 30 August 2016
Information and Bookings: www.shoalhavenentertainment.com.au

York Theatre – Seymour Centre, Corner City Road and Cleveland Street, Chippendale
Season: 2 – 10 September 2016
Information and Bookings: www.seymourcentre.com

Image: Lindy Chamberlain – photo by AP VIA AAP