Will McDonald stars as the iconic con artist in The Talented Mr. Ripley coming to Melbourne.
The Sydney Theatre Company production will make its Melbourne debut following the world premiere season in Sydney. The Talented Mr. Ripley features acclaimed Australian playwright Joanna Murray-Smith’s adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s psychological thriller, with direction by Sarah Goodes.
McDonald, known for his role in Netflix’s Heartbreak High, takes on the lead role of Tom Ripley, an orphan and hustler barely surviving in 1950s New York. The production explores Ripley’s extraordinary capacity for mimicry and deception as he becomes intoxicated with the glittering world of luxury and hedonism on the Italian Riviera.
The Talented Mr. Ripley
- Where: Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne
- When: 28 October – 23 November
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The cast includes Claude Scott-Mitchell from Binge’s The Last Anniversary, Faisal Hamza from ABC’s House of Gods, Andrew McFarlane from ABC’s The Newsreader and Johnny Nasser, also from Heartbreak High. The story follows Tom Ripley as he meets Dickie Greenleaf, a confident, stylish heir to a large fortune who introduces him to a world of privilege and beauty.
Murray-Smith reunites with director Sarah Goodes following their successful collaboration on Julia. The adaptation transforms Highsmith’s seductive page-turner into what promises to be an electrifying stage experience. The character of Tom Ripley has captivated audiences for 70 years since Highsmith first published her novel in 1955.
Various film and television adaptations have been made of The Talented Mr. Ripley, including the 1999 film starring Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Cate Blanchett. The stage adaptation marks another chapter in the enduring appeal of this psychological thriller.
Sydney Theatre Company has been a major force in Australian drama since 1978 and recently announced the international debut of its adaptation of Dracula, starring Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo, set for the UK’s West End. This follows successful international seasons of The Picture of Dorian Gray, starring Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning Australian actress Sarah Snook.
The Talented Mr. Ripley represents the fifth Sydney Theatre Company production to tour to Arts Centre Melbourne in recent years. Other successful transfers have included two seasons of Suzie Miller’s RBG: Of Many One, the adaptation of Pip Williams’ The Dictionary of Lost Words and the original production of The Picture of Dorian Gray starring Eryn Jean-Norvill.
The creative team includes set designer Elizabeth Gadsby, costume designer Emma White, lighting designer Damien Cooper, and composer and sound designer Steve Francis. Movement direction comes from Charmene Yap with fight direction by Tim Dashwood.
Early presale tickets become available from Thursday 12 June at 12pm for those who join the waitlist, with general public tickets on sale from Wednesday 18 June at 12pm.
For more information, head here.
