Australian Musical Theatre Festival artistic director Tyran Parke has announced that the 2027 Festival will celebrate one of the most significant moments in Australian theatre history, as legendary performer Nancye Hayes AM returns to the role that changed the course of Australian musical theatre forever.
Sixty years after her groundbreaking performance as Charity in Sweet Charity, audiences will have the rare opportunity to see Hayes revisit the iconic role for one special concert performance in Launceston, Tasmania, on Friday 21 May 2027.
When Sweet Charity premiered in Australia in 1967, it marked a seismic shift in the local musical theatre industry. Until that time, leading roles were largely reserved for imported performers from America and England, while Australians were typically confined to supporting roles. Hayes’ star-making turn as Charity shattered that tradition and helped pave the way for generations of Australian performers to take centre stage.
Over the following six decades, Hayes would go on to become one of Australia’s most celebrated theatre performers, appearing in landmark productions including Guys and Dolls, Sweeney Todd, 42nd Street, Nine, Annie and Mary Poppins, among countless others. Now, audiences will be given the extraordinary opportunity to revisit where it all began.
“What a joy it will be to revisit and celebrate the show that changed my life and gave me a career that has lasted these 60 years,” said Nancye Hayes
As part of the 2027 Festival, Hayes will slip back into the role of Charity alongside a trio of other celebrated performers, creating a unique theatrical event honouring both the musical and the extraordinary legacy of one of Australia’s most beloved leading ladies.
“When Nancye came to the Australian Musical Theatre Festival in 2025, she showed no sign of slowing down,” said Artistic Director Tyran Parke. “Not only did she make several appearances, but she left Tasmania as the Patron of our Festival.
“Our industry succeeds on the shoulders of performers like Nancye Hayes and I’m excited to turn back history and get this once-in-a-lifetime chance to witness her legendary performance of Charity, nuanced with all the depth that a life in the theatre brings.”
The concert presentation of Sweet Charity will be one performance only and will be one of the headline events of the 2027 Australian Musical Theatre Festival.
Sweet Charity starring Nancye Hayes will be presented in Launceston as part of the Australian Musical Theatre Festival on Friday 21 May 2027. Join the waitlist. For more information, visit: www.amtf.com.au for details.
Image: Nancye Hayes AM (supplied)