# The Secret River (play)

The Secret River is a play by Australian playwright Andrew Bovell, based upon the 2005 novel of the same name by Kate Grenville. It premiered in Sydney on 8 August 2013.

## Synopsis

Narrated by Dhirrumbin, the drama is about a man who is exiled from London in the eighteenth century, and is sent with his family to a penal colony in the Hawkesbury River, New South Wales, where he hopes to make a new start, but its Indigenous inhabitants, the Dharug people, are not willing to give up their land.

## Production

The play was first produced by the Sydney Theatre Company (STC).
Choreographer and then artistic director for Bangarra Dance Theatre, Stephen Page, was artistic associate for the production.

## Performances
### 2013

The STC production of The Secret River had its world premiere on 8 January 2013 at the Sydney Theatre as part of Sydney Festival. The cast included Nathaniel Dean, Trevor Jamieson, Daniel Henshall, Miranda Tapsell, and Ursula Yovich.

### 2016

A 2016 remount toured Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.

### 2017

In March 2017, a co-production of the State Theatre Company of South Australia and the Sydney Theatre Company, co-directed by Neil Armfield and Geordie Brookman, was staged at Anstey Hill Quarry as part of the Adelaide Festival. The show was a record-breaking success, selling out all performances over its 18 nights, with an audience of 800 each night.

### 2019

It was scheduled to tour to Edinburgh International Festival and the Royal National Theatre in London in 2019.

## Original cast

The cast for the 2013 production included:
* Nathaniel Dean - William Thornhill
* Anita Hegh - Sal Thornhill
* Jeremy Sims - Smasher Sullivan
* Colin Moody - Thomas Blackwood
* Ursula Yovich - Dhirrumbin/Dulla Djin
* Miranda Tapsell - Gillyagan/Muruli
* Bruce Spence - Loveday
* Bailey Doomadgee and Kamil Ellis - Garraway
* Lachlan Elliott and Callum McManis - Willie Thornhill
* Rory Potter and Tom Usher - Dick Thornhill
* Roy Gordon - Yalamundi
* Daniel Henshall - Dan Oldfield
* Ethel-Anne Gundy – Buryia
* Trevor Jamieson - Ngalamalum
* Rhimi Johnson Page - Wangarra/Branyimala
* Judith McGrath - Mrs Herring
* James Slee - Narabi
* Matthew Sunderland - Sagitty Birtles/ Captain Suckling/Turnkey

## Awards and nominations
### Helpmann awards

| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
| 2013 | 13th Helpmann Awards | Best Play | Best Play | Won |
| 2013 | 13th Helpmann Awards | Best New Australian Work | Best New Australian Work | Won |
| 2013 | 13th Helpmann Awards | Best Direction of a Play | Neil Armfield | Won |
| 2013 | 13th Helpmann Awards | Best Male Actor in a Play | Nathaniel Dean | Nominated |
| 2013 | 13th Helpmann Awards | Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play | Colin Moody | Won |
| 2013 | 13th Helpmann Awards | Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play | Miranda Tapsell | Nominated |
| 2013 | 13th Helpmann Awards | Best Original Score | Iain Grandage | Won |
| 2013 | 13th Helpmann Awards | Best Musical Direction | Iain Grandage | Won |
| 2013 | 13th Helpmann Awards | Best Costume Design | Tess Schofield | Nominated |
| 2013 | 13th Helpmann Awards | Best Scenic Design | Stephen Curtis | Nominated |
| 2013 | 13th Helpmann Awards | Best Lighting Design | Mark Howett | Nominated |