Simon Phillips directs Carolyn Burns’ stage adaptation of Madeleine St John’s 1993 novel The Women in Black. St John was the first Australian woman to be shortlisted for the Booker Prize for Fiction, and this stage show, with songs by Tim Finn (Split Ends, Crowded House), recaptures the charm of the book.
It’s a musical about gowns, glamour and growing up in Sydney in the 1950s. Starring Christine O’Leary and Bobby Fox, it follows the story of Leslie, a young high school graduate who takes a summer job at Goodes, the most prestigious department store in town, while she awaits her school results.
Although she dreams of university and a life beyond that, she catches a glimpse of a world she has never seen: the working lives of the impeccable ladies in black who dress the North Shore housewives with taste and grace.
Type of Event: Theatre
Venue: Southbank Theatre
The Sumner
140 Southbank Blvd
Southbank VIC 3006
Date: from 20 to 27 January 2016
Price: to be confirmed
Website: Melbourne Theatre Company
Telephone: (03) 8688 0800
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