Noni Hazlehurst’s acclaimed one woman show MOTHER to play Arts Centre Melbourne

Much loved Australian actor, Noni Hazlehurst AM, stars in the critically acclaimed one woman show, Mother, playing in the Fairfax Studio – Arts Centre Melbourne from 4 September 2024.

Written by Australian playwright Daniel Keene especially for Hazlehurst, Mother tells the story of Christie, a homeless woman in a world detached, unforgiving and destructive.

Christie is a great survivor, a storyteller, comical and dramatic. Hazlehurst adeptly portrays Christie – feisty and also defeated, angry yet loving, and ultimately characterised by honesty, wit and self-deprecation.

The play speaks of denial, ignorance and free-falling poverty. Utterly devastating, yet written with Keene’s characteristic lyricism, the award-winning show is wrought with tenderness, violence, black humour and loneliness in equal measure.

Directed with great acclaim by Matt Scholten, the 70-minute drama has awakened many people to issues surrounding motherhood, poverty, homelessness in middle age and isolation.

Universally praised by critics and audiences, Mother has had sold out seasons in Sydney and Brisbane. In 2018, Noni Hazlehurst was the recipient of the Matilda Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role.

The production also won the 2015 Drama Victoria Award for Best Performance by a Theatre Company, was nominated for two Helpmann Awards® including Best Performance by a Female Actor and Best Regional Touring Production and was a finalist in the 2016 Performing Arts Connections Australia Tour of the Year Awards.

Noni Hazlehurst is a celebrated film, theatre and television actor, beloved Play School presenter, host of Better Homes and Gardens and most recently Every Family Has A Secret (SBS). She has one of the most impressive and wide-ranging careers in the business.

Television credits include Foxtel’s A Place to Call Home, ABC’s The Letdown, The Broken Shore and Redfern Now, along with recent feature films Ladies in Black, Truth and The Mule. In 2016, she was inducted into the Logies Hall of Fame.

Due to overwhelming demand, Arts Centre Melbourne is thrilled to announce that six extra shows have been added to the season

“If you want to see one of Australia’s finest actors at the height of her powers, rush out to see this.” – Courier Mail

Director: Matt Scholten | Starring: Noni Hazlehurst | Set, Props and Costume: Kat Chan | Lighting Designer: Tom Willis | Sound Designer: Darius Kedros | Producer: Hey Dowling