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'Abigail (Catherine Văn-Davies), a teenager dealing with her parents’ messy separation, follows the mysterious young girl Beatie Bow (Sofia Nolan) back through time – from the hustle and bustle of Sydney’s The Rocks in the present day to the year 1873, when the suburb was full of struggling immigrant families, gangsters and a whole host of larger-than-life characters. With the help of Beatie, her wise grandmother, and the whole Bow family, Abigail goes on a wild adventure through twisting alleyways of history in a race to find her way home.
'This moving human story is set in and around the real-life suburb that STC calls home and will overflow with history, song and sparkling humour. Grandparents, parents and teenagers will all find something to love in this family story – a combination of Mulvany’s characteristic warmth and vivacity and Williams’ monumental vision.' (Production summary)
Production Details
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World premiere produced by Sydney Theatre Company and performed at Wharf 1 Theatre, 22 February - 1 May, 2021.
Director: Kip Williams.
Set Designer: David Fleischer.
Costume Designer: Renée Mulder.
Lighting Designer: Nick Schlieper.
Composer & Sound Designer: Clemence Williams.
Choral Director: Natalie Goonaratne.
Dramaturg: Courtney Stewart.
Assistant Director: Kenneth Moraleda.
Cast: Tony Cogin, Sofia Nolan, Guy Simon, and Catherine Văn-Davies.
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
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In Beatie's Footsteps : A New Adaptation of Ruth Park's Classic
2021
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , April no. 430 2021; (p. 66)
— Review of Playing Beatie Bow 2021 single work drama'Ruth Park’s novels were as much about Sydney as the people who live there. In Park’s famous The Harp in the South trilogy, the slums of Surry Hills are almost as lively and characterful as the Darcy family, whose story it relates. In Playing Beatie Bow, the changing face of The Rocks underpins every part of the narrative.' (Introduction)
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A Wharf Review
2021
single work
column
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 20 February 2021; (p. 4) -
Slipping through Time
2021
single work
review
— Appears in: The Saturday Paper , 6-12 March 2021;
— Review of Playing Beatie Bow 2021 single work drama 'Kate Mulvany’s adaptation of Ruth Park’s Playing Beatie Bow throws a sinister enchantment over contemporary Sydney. By Bri Lee.' -
Sydney Theatre Company to Open 2021 Season with Kate Mulvany's Adaptation of Ruth Park's Playing Beatie Bow
2020
single work
column
— Appears in: ABC News [Online] , November 2020;
-
Slipping through Time
2021
single work
review
— Appears in: The Saturday Paper , 6-12 March 2021;
— Review of Playing Beatie Bow 2021 single work drama 'Kate Mulvany’s adaptation of Ruth Park’s Playing Beatie Bow throws a sinister enchantment over contemporary Sydney. By Bri Lee.' -
In Beatie's Footsteps : A New Adaptation of Ruth Park's Classic
2021
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , April no. 430 2021; (p. 66)
— Review of Playing Beatie Bow 2021 single work drama'Ruth Park’s novels were as much about Sydney as the people who live there. In Park’s famous The Harp in the South trilogy, the slums of Surry Hills are almost as lively and characterful as the Darcy family, whose story it relates. In Playing Beatie Bow, the changing face of The Rocks underpins every part of the narrative.' (Introduction)
-
Sydney Theatre Company to Open 2021 Season with Kate Mulvany's Adaptation of Ruth Park's Playing Beatie Bow
2020
single work
column
— Appears in: ABC News [Online] , November 2020; -
A Wharf Review
2021
single work
column
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 20 February 2021; (p. 4)
Awards
- 2022 nominated AWGIE Awards — Stage Award — Adapted
- 2021 nominated Sydney Theatre Awards — Best Production for Young People
- 2021 nominated Sydney Theatre Awards — Best Costume Design of a Mainstage Production
- The Rocks, Sydney City, Inner Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales,
- 1873