After two sold-out seasons in Melbourne, Antipodes Theatre Company will make their Sydney premiere with their critically-acclaimed production of Ghost Quartet at Hayes Theatre Co this January.
An intoxicating musical odyssey about love, death and whisky – written and composed by Dave Malloy (Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812) – ran for years in New York at some of the city’s most prestigious venues, including New York Theatre Workshop (birthplace of the musical Once) and The McKittrick Hotel (home of Sleep No More).
Hailed as “rapturous” and “rollicking” (New York Times), this brand-new season of the Australian premiere production is ready to cast its spell on Sydney audiences.
Four friends conjure spirits (both spectral and alcoholic) as they unravel four interwoven narratives spanning seven centuries: a warped fairy tale about two sisters and a treehouse astronomer; a retelling of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher; a purgatorial intermezzo about Scheherazade and the ghost of Thelonious Monk; and a contemporary fable about a subway murder.
Inspired by source material as diverse as Arabian Nights and The Twilight Zone, Ghost Quartet is about the stories we choose to pass on, the versions of ourselves we choose to inhabit, and the healing power of music.
“Antipodes Theatre Company is now in its sixth year, and we could not be more thrilled to be making our Sydney debut,” explains Antipodes Artistic Director Brandon Pape.
“We’ve had two successful seasons in Melbourne, and this show really is the gift that keeps on giving. Dave Malloy has crafted a genuinely haunting song cycle around his fascination with why we believe in ghosts and the stories that shape us.”
“Through Malloy’s unique perspective, audiences can expect a musical experience that grapples with death, grief, guilt, and the nagging feeling that maybe we aren’t living our lives to their fullest potential. I am so thrilled to revisit this piece and get to share the Australian premiere production with Sydney audiences,” said Pape.
The Antipodes creative team have assembled a phenomenally talented cast of singer-musicians that includes Cameron Bajraktarevic-Hayward (My Brilliant Career, Little Women), David Butler (Love That For You), Hany Lee (Hamilton) and Willow Sizer (Guys and Dolls).
Ghost Quartet is primed to be a highlight of the 2025 Musical Theatre season. Initially running for three weeks the production has been extended to four due to audience demand.
Director: Brandon Pape | Featuring: Cameron Bajraktarevic-Hayward, David Butler, Hany Lee, Willow Sizer | Musical Director: David Butler | Sound Designer: Evan Drill | Lighting Designer: Sidney Younger | Production Designer: Jodi Hope
Ghost Quartet
Hayes Theatre Co, 19 Greenknowe Avenue, Elizabeth Bay (Sydney)
Season: 8 January – 1 February 2025
Bookings: www.hayestheatre.com.au
For more information, visit: www.antipodestheatre.com for details.
Image: Cameron Bajraktarevic-Hayward, Willow Sizer, Hany Lee and David Butler to star in Ghost Quartet (supplied)