A defining work by one of the country’s most accomplished playwrights, Joanna Murray-Smith, Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre presents the landmark anniversary production of Honour this February.
Honour follows George, a successful journalist, and his wife, Honor, a former writer who sacrificed her career for their marriage and family. Their seemingly stable relationship is shattered when George falls for Claudia, a young, ambitious journalist. As Honor grapples with the collapse of her marriage, she is forced to rediscover her own identity beyond being a wife and mother.
Multi-award-winning director Sam Strong (commissioned and directed Boy Swallows Universe; commissioned FANGIRLS, QPAC) will return to Red Stitch for the first time in over a decade to direct this revival, which brings Murray-Smith’s poignant exploration of infidelity and identity back to Melbourne after it first captivated audiences in 1995.
Featuring Red Stitch ensemble member Caroline Lee (The Newsreader, Bogan Pride, The Dressmaker), alongside Peter Houghton (The Newsreader, Newstopia) this timeless and razor-sharp play examines what unfolds when everything that once defined a person suddenly falls away. Joining the cast is Ella Ferris (Scrublands) and 2024 Red Stitch Hansen Graduate Lucinda Smith making her debut with the company.
Alongside Strong, the team of creatives also include set and costume design by Sophie Woodward and Jacob Battista, lighting design by Harrie Hogan, sound design and composition by Darrin Verhagen and Michala Banas as Intimacy Coordinator.
“Joanna Murray-Smith’s scalpel-sharp drama… triumphs because it anatomises marital breakdown with a cold-eyed clarity that goes beyond cliché to ask profound questions about the meaning of love decades after the romance has evaporated.” – The Times U.K
HONOUR
Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre, Rear 2 Chapel Street, St Kilda East
Season: 19 February – 16 March 2025 (previews: 15 – 18 February)
Information and Bookings: www.redstitch.net
Image: Caroline Lee and Peter Houghton to star in Honour – photo by James Reiser