Ad Astra Production
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When you tell your secrets to the sea, the tide will bring them to shore…
This is the tale of three sisters: their relationships and their secrets. Their reunion in the Australian seaside town of Sorrento after being apart for ten years, is made volatile by Meg, the middle sister’s, Booker nominated novel, based on their shared experiences, which is bringing international attention to their private lives. The public exposure is unwelcome.
Rayson explained in her 1992 introduction, “…families seem to have an astonishing capacity to postpone the settling of conflicts and old scores”. She quotes Jane Dowdeswell, “Few other relationships can inspire such loyalty or such anger as sisters.”
And the conflicts are not just personal: the sisters come home from America and England and their search for identity is a microcosm of Australia’s search for cultural identity.
Come to Ad Astra’s production of Hotel Sorrento and watch what happens when the sisters try to find their way home to each other.
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I still remember the first time I read Hotel Sorrento. It was the early nineties, I was in my late teens, and from the very first pages I was completely swept up. I fell instantly in love with the script, the characters, and the world Hannie Rayson created. It has remained one of my favourite Australian plays ever since.
Three decades on, her writing still reaches straight into me. To be honest, with a few more years of life, love, heartbreak and healing under my belt, I’ve found the play resonates even more deeply now. Returning to the script felt a bit like catching up with an old friend - one who has grown richer, wiser, and more complex over time. The way the story threads through tangled relationships, buried secrets, the role of creativity and art in Australia, and the fierce emotional landscape of women navigating loss and identity hits home in a way it never could have all those years ago. I’ve discovered layers in this text that I simply wasn’t equipped to see at the time I first read it.
Staging such an episodic script in a smaller space was certainly a challenge at first, but I honestly wouldn’t change a thing. The beautiful intimacy of the Pluto Theatre draws the audience right into the heart of the story. It allows them to sit within the world of the characters rather than simply observing it. Every subtle shift, every flicker of emotion, every moment of vulnerability is right there to be witnessed. That kind of closeness is rare in theatre, and Pluto gives us the gift of sharing it.
And I have to say, I have been absolutely blessed with this cast and production team. To dive so deeply into these relationships and this text requires immense trust, generosity, and integrity, and this group has it in abundance. Their commitment has made this process not only artistically rewarding but genuinely joyful.
I’ve always believed that theatre should be a conversation starter. Not just something we walk away from saying it was funny, or sad, or entertaining, (though those things matter too of course), but something that lingers. Something that leads us into meaningful discussions long after the curtain falls. Theatre, at its best, invites us to look inward and outward at the same time. It helps us recognise ourselves in a moment - or in many moments - and gives us permission to be vulnerable, to be passionate, and to speak about the things in our lives and in our world that we might otherwise keep hidden away. Theatre can make us brave. It can make us honest. And in its own quiet way, it can help us heal.
I sincerely hope you take from this production even a small part of what we’ve gained in creating it. Hannie’s words are a true gift to us as artists, and it has been our privilege to bring that gift to you.
Susan O’Toole-Cridland
Director
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Content Warnings - none.
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Hilary | Alison Telfer McDonald
Marge | Shirley Moran
Wal | John Stibbard
Dick | Jeremy Wellwood
Meg | Izabela Wasilewska
Edwin | Dan Crestani
Troy | Nathaniel Cross
Pippa | Gemma Keliher
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Director | Susan O’Toole-Cridland
Assistant Director | Prue Robb
Production Assistant | Maeve Sloss
Music Composition and Accompaniment | Oscar Lowe
Set Construction | Jeff Van Wersch and Tim Cridland
Set Dressing and Design | Kim Phillips, Prue Robb & Cast/Crew
Technical Crew | Isabella Bonaventura, Matilda Dixon, Jacqueline Sichter, Patrick Cridland
Costumes | Erin Lowry and Prue Robb
Photography | Branda Pisani Photography
Special Thanks | Danielle Park, Dominic Cridland, Adsignz Creative Visual, Scout Cafe, Jenny SInclair
Show Poster
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“Hannie Rayson’s Hotel Sorrento may have premiered more than 30 years ago, but with a family reunion at the story’s heart, it has lost none of its relevance or resonance. And, in Ad Astra’s intimate theatre space, Pluto, the characters are brought to life by a fabulous company of perfectly cast performers – many making their Ad Astra debut – who all give strong ensemble performances.”
Beth Keehn - Stage Whispers | Read Review Here
“It’s brilliant, raw and broken open in an extraordinary way. The actors are outstanding”
Julie Johnson
“Absolutely exquisite production. I went last night and haven’t stopped thinking about it. So many beautiful little details, I want to come back so I can spend more time taking it all in.”
Rebecca Jane
“Everything about this production is perfect. The set is so clever in defining three seperate spaces in the very intimate downstairs Ad Astra space. The lighting and music added so much to each scene. And the acting is sublime! Each performance was so natural and pitch perfect.”
Claire Marchesi
