Archived

Summer of the
Seventeenth Doll

By Ray Lawler
Director Neil Armfield

 

  • Venue National tour
  • Dates 24 Sept – 13 Nov 2011

Winner of one 2012 Helpmann Award
Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play (Robyn Nevin)

After a sell-out season at home at Belvoir, this production toured to Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra and Wollongong in 2012.

After 17 years as Artistic Director here at Belvoir, Neil Armfield directs the play about how, after 17 years, all good things must come to an end.

Every summer, Barney and Roo have come back from the Queensland canefields to the Carlton house they share with Nancy and Olive for their annual season of leisure. This year though, Nancy’s gone and got married, and Pearl’s taking her place …

 Summer of the Seventeenth Doll is one of the pillars of our national theatre. With its premiere in 1955 Australian playwriting came of age. But The Doll is also about regeneration: about sloughing off the shell of habit and delusion and finding life anew.

Three Australian greats – Neil, The Doll and the Victa mower – were all born in ’55. Here we bring (at least) two of them together for the first time!

Cast (touring)

Blazey Best
James Hoare
Steve Le Marquand

Travis McMahon
Robyn Nevin

TJ Power
Helen Thomson
Alison Whyte
Eloise Winestock

Team

By Ray Lawler
Director Neil Armfield
Set Designer Ralph Myers
Costume Designer Dale Ferguson
Lighting Designer Damien Cooper
Composer Alan John
Sound Designer Paul Charlier
Assistant Director Susanna Dowling

Rehearsal images by Heidrun Lohr
Production images by Heidrun Lohr

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