Sydney Theatre Company, Sydney Festival, Malthouse Melbourne & Edinburgh International Festival present
Optimism

by Tom Wright, after Voltaire

Raised in Westphalia in the household of a Baron, Candide (Frank Woodley) has enjoyed a privileged life. He has received a fine education in philosophy from the family tutor, Pangloss (Barry Otto), and has merrily subscribed to his mentor’s theory that ‘all is for the best’.

Life has been all-too-easy for our blissfully happy hero. That is until his love for the Baron’s rosy-cheeked daughter, Cunegonde, is detected and, by way of punishment, he is ejected from this Eden.

Here begins Candide’s extraordinary and epic journey around the globe. As he trudges across continents in search of his beloved he encounters war, plague, religion, sex and a cast of pitiful
unfortunates. The world he experiences is cruel and frequently brutal… Will it chip away at his insatiable optimism?

Tom Wright transforms Voltaire’s classic satire, Candide, into a cutting commentary on the no-worries bravura of the Australian swagger.

Just like Candide, this rambunctious production from director Michael Kantor, has travelled the globe: since its debut at Malthouse Melbourne it has been performed at Edinburgh International Festival, where Frank Woodley won a Herald Angel Award for his performance as the criminally cheerful Candide.

"* * * * a big bold brash updating of the French writer’s provocative 18th century novel of ideas… a rollicking good night out." - The Glasgow Herald

DRAMA THEATRE, Sydney Opera House
Schools Day   Wed 10 Feb
Pre-show Intro 10:30am, 45 minutes
Performance 12:15pm
Duration 2 hours 10 minutes, including interval
Post-show Q&A immediately following, 15 minutes
Suits   Years 10 - 12
Why Book?   A wonderfully funny translation of Voltaire’s classic novella, satire at its best.
This production contains very mild bad language

Photo: Jeff Busby