Currently playing an encore season at the Roslyn Packer Theatre, Sydney Theatre Company (STC) and State Theatre Company South Australia’s (STCSA) acclaimed adaptation of The Dictionary of Lost Words will then embark on a six-city tour including Geelong, Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra and Wollongong.
Verity Laughton’s adaptation of Pip Williams’ New York Times bestseller, directed by Jessica Arthur (Grand Horizons, Wonnangatta), first won the hearts of theatre and book lovers alike when it premiered in Adelaide in 2023, breaking box-office records at the Dunstan Playhouse before going on to play sold-out seasons in Sydney and Melbourne.
Rising star Shannen Alyce Quan (Little Women, Six) takes on the role of feminist trailblazer Esme Nicoll, joining new cast members Brian Meegan, Johnny Nasser, James Smith, Angela Nica Sullen and returning cast Arkia Ashraf, Rachel Burke and Ksenja Logos.
“It’s been so heartening to witness the critical acclaim, the audience love and the sold-out seasons for this gem of a show in its first outings in Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne,” said STC Artistic Director and co-CEO Mitchell Butel, who commissioned the work while Artistic Director at STCSA.
“I’m thrilled that new audiences, and those who want seconds, will get to experience the heart, wit and epic sweep of this genius adaptation of such a beloved, important and affecting Australian novel about words that should never have been lost and the heroes who found them.”
Williams’ sweeping historical tale captured the imagination of hundreds of thousands of readers around the globe after being recommended by book club trendsetters like Reese Witherspoon and translated into an extraordinary 28 languages.
Now a beloved modern classic, The Dictionary of Lost Words presents a tender reflection on the love between a daughter and her father as it follows Esme from her childhood in the 1880s, into adulthood at the height of the women’s suffrage movement and the beginning of the First World War.
The creative team bringing this enthralling story to life features Jonathon Oxlade (Set Designer), Alisa Paterson (Costume Designer), Trent Suidgeest (Lighting Designer), Max Lyandvert (Composer & Sound Designer) and Shannon Rush (Assistant Director).
The Dictionary of Lost Words
Roslyn Packer Theatre, Hickson Road, Walsh bay (Sydney)
Season continues to 22 March 2025
Information and Bookings: www.sydneytheatre.com.au
Following the Sydney season, The Dictionary of Lost Words will be presented in The Play House – Geelong Arts Centre (27 – 29 March), Dunstan Playhouse – Adelaide Festival Centre (3 – 17 April), Playhouse – Queensland Performing Arts Centre (26 April – 10 May), Playhouse – Canberra Theatre Centre (15 – 24 May) and Illawarra Performing Arts Centre, Wollongong (29 May – 7 June).
Image: The Dictionary of Lost Words (supplied)