The Secret River

Following a sold out season in 2013, The Secret River returns as something of a modern Australian classic. Adapted from the novel by Kate Grenville and once again directed by Neil Armfield, it tracks the story of the conflict between transported convict William Thornhill and the Dharug people, on whose land by the Hawkesbury River he attempts to settle.

Joshua Brennan plays Dan Oldfield, another convict taken on by Thornhill to help work his land. Oldfield struggles between Thornhill’s dubious morality and the grim treatment of the local indigenous culture.

“I’m really excited to be a part of the work. It’s a really difficult issue to talk about but this creates discussion,” said Brennan, convinced of the importance of the story. Having grown up in remote Western Australia he considers himself fortunate to have had his eyes opened to indigenous culture and the events that have essentially been “swept under the rug”.

“It’s tough. It’s a dark story and we are talking about a really dark period in Australian history,” said Brennan. Although guilt can be a paralysing emotion, he points to the play providing respect on both sides. “Hopefully we will get people in the foyer, who are provoked in all sorts of ways and are safe and able to express how they feel.”

While there are notable similarities between the original and this production, largely half the cast is new, bringing a different flavour to the work. Brennan added: “I certainly don’t think if you saw it the first time round it will feel like a similar show, purely because we’ve got some really prominent characters who now have a different voice and tone”. (GW)

Feb 6–20 (Mon 6:30pm, Tues–Sat 7:30pm). Sydney Theatre Company, Roslyn Packer Theatre, Hickson Rd, Walsh Bay. $69-$116. Tickets & info: sydneytheatre.com.au or 02 9250 1777.