It's a lovely thing to be able to write that Andrew Upton's STC career began in the last century. From writing to directing to leading the whole company, Andrew has been busy here at The Wharf.

 

In 2017, he returns with an adaptation of Chekhov's masterpiece, Three Sisters. In this collection of photos, we look back at the extraordinary body of work he has already contributed.

 

 

CYRANO DE BERGERAC (1999 & 2014)

 

As a writer, Andrew's first adaptation for STC was Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac, which debuted in 1999 and was reprised in 2014. In the first production, Jeremy Sims donned the schnoz of Cyrano, with Justine Clarke as Roxane. (Photos: Tracey Schramm)

 

 

 

In 2014's rendition of Cyrano, Andrew also directed his adaptation. The script was given a new haircut for the larger Sydney Theatre stage but the nose remained just as grand, with Richard Roxburgh as its swashbuckling bearer. (Photo: Brett Boardman)

 

 

DON JUAN (2001)

 

For STC's 2001 season, Andrew adapted Moliere's Don Juan, which featured Angie Milliken. (Photo: Tracey Schramm)

 

 

HEDDA GABLER (2004)

 

Andrew's third major adaptation for the company, Hedda Gabler, was directed by Robyn Nevin for STC in 2004 with Cate Blanchett in the title role. The production also toured to New York in early 2006. (Photo: Heidrun Löhr)

 

 

THE CHERRY ORCHARD (2005)

 

Andrew's adaptation of Anton Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard was presented by STC in 2005. STC's Artistic Director of the time, Robyn Nevin, played matriarch Ranyevskaya, directed by Englishman Howard Davies. (Photo: Heidrun Löhr)

 

 

REUNION (2006)

 

In 2006, Andrew directed David Mamet's Reunion, starring Robert Menzies and Justine Clarke. (Photo: Heidrun Lohr)

 

 

RIFLEMIND (2007)

 

Andrew's play Riflemind, with a cast that included Hugo Weaving and Jeremy Sims, was staged as part of the 2007 STC season under the direction of Philip Seymour Hoffman and in London in 2008 for the Ambassador Theatre Group. (Photo: Brett Boardman)

 

 

 

THE MYSTERIES (2009)

 

In 2009, Andrew directed part two of The Mysteries, the first production featuring the STC Residents. (Photo: Brett Boardman)

 

 

LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT (2010)

 

The following year, Andrew directed Robyn Nevin and William Hurt in Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey Into Night, which toured successfully to the United States following its Sydney season. (Photo: Brett Boardman)

 

 

UNCLE VANYA (2010)

 

Also in 2010, Andrew's adaptation of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya was presented at Sydney Theatre, directed by Tamás Ascher. The production toured to the United States in 2011 and 2012 to extraordinary acclaim and was named the best play of the year by Washington Post critic Peter Marks, after what he described as the strongest year of theatre in a decade. In The New York Times, Ben Brantley declared that he considered the three hours of the show "among the happiest of my theatergoing life". Here, a gripping moment between Richard Roxburgh and Cate Blanchett. (Photo: Lisa Tomasetti)

 

 

THE WHITE GUARD (2011)

 

In 2011, Andrew directed his own adaptation of Mikhail Bulgakov's The White Guard for STC. Here, John Leary and Patrick Brammall chat in a chilly Russian hall. (Photo: Lisa Tomasetti) 

 

 

FACE TO FACE (2012)

 

In 2012, Simon Stone directed Face to Face, which he had co-adapted with Andrew. Originally a movie by Swedish writer-director Ingmar Bergman, Face to Face follows main character Jenny (played here by Kerry Fox) through a very traumatic period of life. Also pictured are Jessica Nash and Victoria Marques. (Photo: Brett Boardman)

 

 

FURY (2013)

 

Andrew directed Joanna Murray-Smith's Fury in 2013. Sarah Peirse (who also appears in Endgame), Robert Menzies and Geraldine Hakewill were amongst the cast. (Photo: Lisa Tomasetti)

 

 

THE MAIDS (2013)

 

Andrew teamed up with Benedict Andrews to co-adapt Jean Genet's The Maids in 2013. With Cate Blanchett and Isabelle Huppert in the eponymous roles, the production would go on tour to New York's Lincoln Center Festival in 2014. (Photo: Lisa Tomasetti)

 

 

WAITING FOR GODOT (2013)

 

At the end of 2013, Andrew stepped into the breach to replace Tamás Ascher as director of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot. Hugo Weaving and Richard Roxburgh played the inimitable duo of Vladimir and Estragon. (Photo: Lisa Tomasetti)

 

 

TRAVELLING NORTH (2014)

 

To kick off STC's 2014 season, Andrew directed an Australian classic – David Williamson's Travelling North, with Bryan Brown and Alison Whyte as the central couple. (Photo: Brett Boardman) 

 

 

CHILDREN OF THE SUN (2014)

 

Later in 2014, Andrew's adaptation of Maxim Gorky's Children of the Sun was brought to the stage by STC Resident Director Kip Williams. The large cast featured Hamish Michael, Justine Clarke, Jacqueline McKenzie, Toby Truslove and Chris Ryan. (Photo: Brett Boardman) 

 

 

ENDGAME (2015)

 

In 2015, Andrew continued his work with Samuel Beckett and Hugo Weaving when he directed Endgame – a play which is, in many ways, a companion piece to Waiting for Godot. The production garnered a number of Helpmann Award nominations, with Hugo winning for Best Actor. (Photo: Lisa Tomasetti) 

 

 

THE PRESENT (2015)

Andrew's gift for adapting Russian plays was on full show when he turned Anton Chekhov's sprawling, untitled first play into The Present. Directed by Irishman John Crowley and featuring Cate Blanchett and Richard Roxburgh as Anna Petrovna and Mikhail Platonov. (Photo: Lisa Tomasetti)

 

 

Three Sisters, 6 Nov – 16 Dec 2017, Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House

 

Seeing the show? Let us know your thoughts. Tag @sydneytheatreco and #STCFlea or #STCSpeedThePlow or #STCThreeSisters