An epic, globe-trotting, century-crossing night of theatrical magic that explores the deeply relatable bond between a mother and daughter, Sydney Theatre Company presents Oil by Ella Hickson at the Wharf 1 Theatre this November.
In a remote English farmhouse at the end of the nineteenth century, a young woman witnesses the blinding light of an oil lamp for the first time before running into the midwinter night. She’s sacrificing the world she knows and the man she loves to build a better life for the daughter she’s soon to have. So begins the story of May and Amy.
Anchored by an intimate exploration of the bond between a mother and daughter, Oil drills deep into our social foundations, taking an audacious look at colonialism, capitalism and the inevitable march of progress.
Written by boundary-pushing British playwright Ella Hickson and directed by STC Director of New Work & Artistic Development Paige Rattray (Do Not Go Gentle, Blithe Spirit), Oil sends its protagonists on a captivating quest charting the rise and fall of two of modernity’s most powerful players: crude oil and the British Empire.
Oil will be presented in the Wharf’s breath-taking in-the-round configuration as it transports audiences through a sweeping, time-bending journey from the Industrial Age in Europe to the Middle East in the 1920s, to our present moment and into the future.
AACTA Award-winner Brooke Satchwell (The Twelve) is set to make her highly anticipated return to the stage, leading a sensational ensemble cast featuring Saif Alawadi, Violette Ayad, Jing-Xuan Chan, Callan Colley, Charlotte Friels, Josh McConville, Benedict Samuel, Damien Strouthos and Anne Tenney.
“A remarkable play… one of the best theatrical mother-daughter relationships of recent years.” – The Guardian
Director: Paige Rattray | Featuring: Saif Alawadi, Violette Ayad, Jing-Xuan Chan, Callan Colley, Charlotte Friels, Josh McConville, Benedict Samuel, Brooke Satchwell, Damien Strouthos, Anne Tenney | Set Designer: Emma White | Costume Designer: David Fleischer | Lighting Designer: Paul Jackson | Composer & Sound Designer: Clemence Williams | Assistant Director: Nicole Pingon | Fight, Movement & Intimacy Director: Nigel Poulton | Farsi Language Consultant: Maryam Evans
OIL
Wharf 1 Theatre – Sydney Theatre Company, 15 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay (Sydney)
Season: 9 November – 16 December 2023 (previews: 4 – 8 November)
Information and Bookings: www.sydneytheatre.com.au
Image: Callan Colley, Brooke Satchwell and Charlotte Friels feature in Oil – photo by Rene Vaile