White Pearl

Hilarious, incisive and packed with razor-sharp dialogue, White Pearl is a wildly entertaining rollercoaster of a production.

11 Mar - 23 Apr 2022

Wharf 1 Theatre

The Play

★★★★1/2 Limelight
★★★★ Sydney Morning Herald
★★★★ Time Out 

WHITE PEARL

By Anchuli Felicia King
Directed by Priscilla Jackman

There’s no such thing as bad publicity...

From the brilliant mind of Anchuli Felicia King, White Pearl was a runaway smash on its 2019 Sydney premiere with co-producer Riverside’s National Theatre of Parramatta. After a hit season at Queensland Theatre in 2021, this knockout production will return in 2022, this time at The Wharf.

Behind the sleek and unblemished facade of CleardayTM cosmetics — a market leader in Asia’s booming beauty industry — the scars of deep-seated prejudice are waiting to re-emerge. A team of young and ambitious women from across Asia is working to generate buzz for their new skin-whitening cream ‘White Pearl’. The problem? An ad in development has leaked early and it’s making headlines for all the wrong reasons. As views skyrocket and the ad is shared around the world, the team races against the clock to get the situation under control, to save their jobs and to lay the blame squarely elsewhere.

With razor-sharp dialogue, nail-biting tension, and caustic wit, this rollercoaster of a production takes a nuanced swipe at cancel culture and toxic corporations, exploring intra-Asian politics, 21st century racism and the dark side of going viral.

Approx. duration 1 hr 25 mins (no interval). Subject to change. More info.
Content Strong language, adult themes, sexual references and themes of racial prejudice. White Pearl dissects aspects of race and culture and contains content that may be confronting for some audience members. Subject to change. More info.

Sydney Theatre Company thanks the Girgensohn Foundation for their support of Australian Writing.

White Pearl was first developed through Playwriting Australia through its National New Play Development program and the National Play Festival in 2018.

VISITOR SAFETY INFORMATION

STC is COVID Safe. The safety of our audiences, artists and staff is of paramount importance. We’ve implemented extensive safety and hygiene measures which are regularly updated in line with NSW Government guidelines. This is an evolving situation and our COVID-19 safety protocols are subject to change. Please check the most up-to-date Visitor Safety Measures prior to your visit.

TICKET INFORMATION

Single tickets
Mon – Thu performances
Adult A Reserve $74
Adult B Reserve $70
Adult C Reserve $59
Seniors cardholder $74
Concession $70
Under 30 $49

Fri & Sat performances
A Reserve $74
B Reserve $70
C Reserve $59

Preview performances
A Reserve $49
C Reserve $39

Restricted view seats*
Previews $29
Mon – Sat $34
* These seats have an impeded view of certain scenes. Please call Box Office on (02) 9250 1777 with any questions.

Transaction fees may apply
Season Ticket bookings: no fees
Single ticket bookings: $8.50 online; $8 telephone; $0 Box Office counter

DATES

Previews 11 – 14 Mar 2022
Season 16 Mar – 23 Apr 2022

Performance start times
Preview performances 7.30pm
In-season evening performances Mon & Tue 6.30pm; Wed – Sat 7.30pm
Matinee performances Wed 1pm; Sat 1.30pm

Approx. duration 1 hr 25 mins (no interval). Subject to change. More info.

TICKET INFORMATION

Single tickets

Mon – Thu performances
Adult A Reserve $74
Adult B Reserve $70
Adult C Reserve $59
Seniors cardholder $74
Concession $70
Under 30 $49

Fri & Sat performances
A Reserve $74
B Reserve $70
C Reserve $59

Preview performances
A Reserve $49
C Reserve $39

Restricted view seats*
Previews $29
Mon – Sat $34
* These seats have an impeded view of certain scenes. Please call Box Office on (02) 9250 1777 with any questions.

Prices are correct at the time of publication and subject to change without notice. Exact prices will be displayed with seat selection.

Transaction fees may apply
Season Ticket bookings: no fees
Single ticket bookings: $8.50 online; $8 telephone; $0 Box Office counter

Concession, seniors and under 30 tickets
Suitable and valid identification must be provided for collection of tickets and at the venue, such as your concession or proof of age card. Alternatively, you may email a copy of your identification to [email protected]. Please quote your booking reference number.

Access requirements
For specific access requirements, please call Box Office on (02) 9250 1777 to book your seats. More info.

Authorised ticket sellers
The only authorised ticket sellers for this event is Sydney Theatre Company. Only tickets purchased by authorised agencies should be considered valid and reliable. More info.

ACCESS PERFORMANCES

Audio Described Performances
Tue 5 Apr, 6.30pm
Sat 9 Apr, 1.30pm

Auslan Interpreted Performances
Thu 21 Apr, 7.30pm

Director Priscilla Jackman
Designer Jeremy Allen
Lighting Designer Damien Cooper
Composer & Sound Designer Michael Toisuta
Composer & Associate Sound Designer Me-Lee Hay
Projection Designer Anchuli Felicia King
Dramaturg Courtney Stewart

With
Deborah An, Manali Datar, Melissa Gan, Stephen Madsen, Kaori Maeda-Judge, Nicole Milinkovic, Shirong Wu

Understudies
Mayu Iwasaki, Jeanda St James, Jenny Wu

Marketing image Rene Vaile

This listing is updated as cast and creatives are confirmed in the lead-up to the production, and if there are any changes to the team. Ensure you have the most up-to-date information about each play by opting in to our enewsletter.

We offer a range of free and ticketed events designed to give you further insight into our plays. Find out more about our Insight Events.

Pre-season Briefing
Mon 7 Mar, 6.15pm
Neilson Family Gallery
FREE, but bookings are essential as capacity is limited.
Book tickets

Night with the Artists
Mon 21 Mar, 6.30pm
Mon 28 Mar, 6.30pm

Matinee Club
Wed 23 Mar, 12pm
Neilson Family Gallery, The Wharf

Reviews from our 2019 season

★★★★ "It's funny, insightful and packed with extraordinary erudition." Sydney Morning Herald

★★★★ "Blisteringly funny satire" Time Out

"A controlled explosion as hilarious as it is whip-smart." The Australian

★★★★1/2 "A dazzling production that has you riding the roller-coaster plot with your jaw on the floor at the brazen, daring brilliance of the writing." Limelight

"A sensational piece of writing, thoroughly researched and passionately rendered... A wildly funny theatrical ride that never releases us from its moral interrogations." Suzy Goes See

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