Press & Updates

On top of Sydney’s theatrical melting pot is the state’s theatre company, the STC. Now, the pot is relatively small and some would say it’s barely melting, which brings up a few issues before we get started.

Possibly because of Sydney’s relatively small theatre scene, the pressure vested in the state’s theatre company to wave the flag and lead the way for the industry appears to be that much greater.

"Is this pressure real or imagined – and if real, is it accurately invested? By supporting the notion of a flagship theatre are we perpetuating what some may already say is a cultural elite at the expense of the development of mid-level companies to bridge the gap between the independent sector and major companies such as the STC? Or does the STC’s presence simply represent a case of theatrical tall poppy?

In short – what should be the role of our state’s theatre company, if any? And how well are they doing it?

For reference, the STC mission statement is copied below:

"Our Mission

"Sydney Theatre Company (STC) produces theatre of the highest standard that consistently illuminates, entertains and challenges. It is committed to the engagement between the imagination of its artists and its audiences, to the development of the art form of theatre and to excellence in all its endeavours.

"Sydney Theatre Company, as the premier theatre company in Australia, has been a major force in Australian drama since its establishment in 1978. The company presents an annual 12-play program at its home base The Wharf, on Sydney’s Harbour at Walsh Bay, the nearby new Sydney Theatre, which STC also manages, and as the resident theatre company of the Sydney Opera House. CEO/Artistic Director, Robyn Nevin AM, joined the Company in 1999.

"Sydney Theatre Company offers New South Wales (NSW) audiences an eclectic program of Australian plays, lively interpretations of the classic repertoire and the best of new international writing. As the state theatre company of NSW, it also produces a significant schools program and in its studio space produces work devised by, and for, developing artists. This art form originated in 1987 with Baz Lurhmann’s Six Years Old, and continues in its 2006 identity, as Wharf 2LOUD. The company reaches beyond its home state, touring productions throughout Australia. STC plays annually to audiences in excess of 300,000.

"STC actively fosters relationships and collaborations with international artists and companies. Renowned directors Michael Blakemore, Max Stafford-Clark, Howard Davies and Declan Donnellan have worked with STC in recent years, and the company has presented productions by Complicite, Cheek by Jowl, Out Of Joint and the National Theatre of Great Britain. In 2001 STC performed at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York with its production of The White Devil. In 2002 the Company’s production of The Cherry Pickers enjoyed an extensive tour of the UK which included seasons at the Cultureshock Festival in Manchester and at the prestigious Brighton and Salisbury Festivals.

"The Company has launched and fostered the theatre careers of many of Australia’s internationally renowned artists including Mel Gibson, Judy Davis, Hugo Weaving, Miranda Otto, Geoffrey Rush, Toni Collette, Rose Byrne and Cate Blanchett.

"In 2006 STC will launch its first acting ensemble, The Actors Company, who will perform work by Brecht, Moliere, and a new work based on Ovid’s Metamorphoses by Barrie Kosky and Tom Wright. These productions will sit within a larger program including works by John Patrick Shanley, Alan Ayckbourn, Alan Bennett, Harold Pinter and David Mamet. Clark, Howard Davies and Declan Donnellan have worked with STC in recent years, and the company has presented productions by Complicite, Cheek by Jowl, Out Of Joint and the National Theatre of Great Britain. In 2001 STC performed at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York with its production of The White Devil. In 2002 the Company’s production of The Cherry Pickers enjoyed an extensive tour of the UK which included seasons at the Cultureshock Festival in Manchester and at the prestigious Brighton and Salisbury Festivals.

"The Company has launched and fostered the theatre careers of many of Australia’s internationally renowned artists including Mel Gibson, Judy Davis, Hugo Weaving, Miranda Otto, Geoffrey Rush, Toni Collette, Rose Byrne and Cate Blanchett.

"In 2006 STC will launch its first acting ensemble, The Actors Company, who will perform work by Brecht, Moliere, and a new work based on Ovid’s Metamorphoses by Barrie Kosky and Tom Wright. Tese productions will sit within a larger program including works by John Patrick Shanley, Alan Ayckbourn, Alan Bennett, Harold Pinter and David Mamet."