The beloved story of The Talented Mr. Ripley has seen a resurgence recently. First with Ripley-inspired antics in Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn, followed by Netflix’s monochrome adaptation Ripley, and now, the kooky and kinky story is now making its way to Sydney and Melbourne, on stage.
The psychological thriller written by Patricia Highsmith will be brought to life by the Sydney Theatre Company this August, adapted for theatre by playwright Joanna Murray-Smith and directed by Sarah Goodes. It's a seductive tale of deception and identity, told through a sharp, modern lens.
What is The Talented Mr. Ripley about?
To put it simply, this is a story that is about wanting what someone else has, and then taking it. It's about weaponised charm, and pretending so well you forget who you are.
The psychological thriller follows Tom Ripley, a clever, slippery outsider who’s tired of scraping by in Manhattan. When he’s offered a chance to travel to Italy to convince rich-kid golden boy Dickie Greenleaf to come home, he says yes. And what follows is sun, boats, cocktails, and a life that’s not his.
But Tom doesn’t just want to be around Dickie. He wants to be him. Slowly, almost beautifully, he starts to blur the lines. The envy becomes obsession. The obsession becomes something darker.
It’s a story about mimicry and morality. About how easily we fall for appearances and the strange glamour of deceit. In Ripley, Highsmith gave us a character who is charming, terrifying, and totally unforgettable, a man who will do whatever it takes to keep living a life he was never supposed to have.
Who is cast in The Talented Mr. Ripley?
And who will be our leading man in this Sydney Theatre Company production, is Will McDonald, the actor who is best known as Ca$h in Heart Break High.
Joining McDonald is a cast as sharp as the story itself. Raj Labade takes on the role of Dickie Greenleaf, the charming expat whose easy wealth and golden-boy allure become the object of Tom’s obsession. Claude Scott-Mitchell appears as Marge Sherwood, Dickie’s perceptive friend. Rounding out the ensemble are Faisal Hamza, Andrew McFarlane, and Johnny Nasser.
View this post on Instagram
When will The Talented Mr. Ripley debut?
The Talent Mr. Ripley production will be debuting on August 19th later this year in Sydney at Roslyn Packer Theatre. The production will be going on for just over a month, until September 28th. And play after at the Arts Centre Melbourne’s Playhouse from the 28th October to the 23rd of November.
Where can we buy tickets?
Tickets are available for purchase now to see The Talented Mr. Ripley stage production via the Sydney Theatre Company website or, here. And for Melbourne tickets, via the Arts Centre Melbourne’s Playhouse website or, here.
Feature image via Sydney Theatre Company and Joe Brennan.
