Oil

An epic, globe-trotting, century-crossing night of theatrical magic that explores the deeply relatable bond between a mother and daughter.

4 Nov - 16 Dec 2023

Wharf 1 Theatre

The Play

★★★★★ Cultural Binge ★★★★ ½ Suzy Goes See
★★★★ The Guardian ★★★★ Time Out ★★★★ Limelight
★★★★ Australian Book Review ★★★★ StageNoise

Oil

By Ella Hickson
Directed by Paige Rattray

A time-bending epic that drills deep

In a remote English farmhouse at the end of the nineteenth century, a young woman witnesses the blinding light of an oil lamp for the first time before running into the midwinter night. She’s sacrificing the world she knows and the man she loves to build a better life for the daughter she’s soon to have. So begins the story of May and Amy.

Written by Ella Hickson – one of Britain’s most exciting and boundary-pushing playwrights – Oil explores the deeply relatable bond between a mother and daughter, mapped against the rise and fall of two of modernity’s most powerful players: crude oil and the British Empire. Hickson sends her protagonists on a gripping quest from the Industrial Age in Europe, to the Middle East at the turn of the century, through to our present moment and into the future, as she asks the question: how much is too much?

Featuring Brooke Satchwell in her STC debut with an ensemble cast of Saif Alawadi, Violette Ayad, Jing-Xuan Chan, Callan Colley, Charlotte Friels, Josh McConville, Benedict Samuel, Damien Strouthos and Anne Tenney, Oil sets small lives adrift in the huge tides of history and wonders what’s left when colonialism, fossil fuels and individualism are allowed to burn unchecked.

 

Directed by STC Director, New Work & Artistic Development Paige Rattray (The Lifespan of a Fact, Blithe Spirit) and presented in the Wharf’s new in-the-round configuration, this production promises an epic, globe-trotting, century-crossing night of theatrical magic.

 

Approx. duration 2 hrs 30 mins (including interval). Subject to change.
Content Sex scenes, infrequent strong language, infrequent violence, smoking, theatrical smoke and haze, complete theatrical blackouts, flashing lights. Subject to change.

VISITOR SAFETY INFORMATION

The safety of our audiences, artists and staff is of paramount importance. For full details on our safety measures please visit our Visitor Safety Information page.

Dates

Previews 4 – 8 Nov 2023
Season 10 Nov – 16 Dec 2023

Night with the Artists
Mon 20 Nov, post-show Q&A

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 2 hrs 30 mins (including interval). Subject to change.

Ticket Information

Single tickets
Mon – Thu performances
Adult A Reserve $104
Adult B Reserve $99
Seniors card holder $99
Concession $78
Under 30 $57

Fri & Sat performances
A Reserve $109
B Reserve $104

Preview performances
All tickets $57

Groups Discount (10+ people)
Monday – Thursday
A Reserve $94

Please call the Box Office on (02) 9250 1777 to book groups.

Corporate entertainment packages are also available for this production.

Season Ticket prices
Saturday evening A Reserve $98
Adult A Reserve $93
Seniors cardholder $89
Pensioner/Student $70
Under 30 $51
Preview $51

Mini Package prices
Mon – Thu performances
Adult A Reserve $98
Seniors cardholder $94
Pensioner/Student $74
Under 30 $54

Friday & Saturday performances
A Reserve $103

Preview performances
All tickets $54

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

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

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.

Director Paige Rattray
Set Designer Emma White
Costume Designer David Fleischer
Lighting Designer Paul Jackson
Composer & Sound Designer Clemence Williams
Assistant Director Nicole Pingon
Fight, Movement & Intimacy Director Nigel Poulton
Farsi Language Consultant Maryam Evans

With
Saif Alawadi, Violette Ayad, Jing-Xuan Chan, Callan Colley, Charlotte Friels, Josh McConville, Benedict Samuel, Brooke Satchwell, Damien Strouthos, Anne Tenney

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 enews.

INSIGHT EVENTS

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.

Night with the Artists
Mon 20 Nov, post-show

"Transcendent" ★★★★★ Cultural Binge

"Paige Rattray's remarkable direction of the work captivates with endless intrigue" ★★★★1/2 Suzy Goes See

"Brooke Satchwell and Charlotte Friels [are] magnetic in Ella Hickson's ambitious epic" ★★★★ The Guardian

"A time-bending, continent-hopping, multi-layered sci-fi epic and mother-daughter drama...impressively produced and performed" ★★★★ Time Out

"Provocative and complex...enthralling" ★★★★ Limelight

"Historic, futuristic, prescient, and gripping...a creative tour-de-force" ★★★★ StageNoise

"The cast is universally outstanding."
"Serving this play up in the round is a bold and fruitful idea"
★★★★ Australian Book Review

"A thought-provoking, stimulating production"
"Satchwell and Friels give committed and passionate performances. The whole ensemble cast are wonderful and credit should be given to the director, Paige Rattray, for the fast and invigorating pace of the show…The dynamic set designs by Emma White and brilliant lighting by Paul Jackson should be highly commended. As should the great sound design by Clemence Williams – subtle and haunting. They all enriched the play."
★★★★ Sydney Arts Guide

"An enthralling theatrical leap" Stage Whispers

"An intriguing and enlightening piece of theatre...powerful and timely" Broadway World

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