AUSTRALIA

One much-anticipated play from the Sydney Theatre Company is the biographical Still Point Turning: The Catherine McGregor Story, by writer/ director Priscilla Jackman. Based on interviews with McGregor, it follows her life through many identities including husband, athlete and soldier to her transformation as a woman. Heather Mitchell (Cloud Nine) plays McGregor in a revealing story of strength and honesty. Also presented by the STC is the classic The Harp In The South, Parts I and II from the novel by Ruth Park, adapted for the stage by Kate Mulvany. This will be an epic theatrical experience as Mulvany has cleverly taken Park’s trilogy (The Harp In The South, Missus and Poor Man’s Orange) into two stand-alone plays.

Meanwhile, Perth’s Black Swan Theatre will present another Australian classic, Ray Lawler’s Summer Of The Seventeenth Doll.

At the Melbourne Theatre Company, Geoffrey Rush will star in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Simon Gleeson and Gina Riley will head Oscar Wilde’s An Ideal Husband, and if you’re a fan of Kath And Kim or Don’s Party, get ready for Abigail’s Party with Zoe Boesen and Daniel Frederiksen. But the headline act Down Inder in 2018 must be the UK’s touring production of The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time. This play has won several Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League and Laurence Olivia Awards and earned global critical acclaim.

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Aladdin, The Book Of Mormon, Mamma Mia! The Wizard Of Oz and American Idiot will continue to tour, while The Rocky Horror Show, Jersey Boys and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert will return.

Missy Higgins will make her musical theatre debut in the satirical Miracle City, and Tina Arena will be taking to the stage at the Sydney Opera House as Eva Peron in the 40th anniversary of Evita.

There’s no doubt that theatre has entered an era where big stars, big movies and big songs are make big bucks. There’s little room for any other theatrical forms in this environment but at least 2018 will keep bums on seats, and have audiences dancing in the aisles.