ORDINARY PEOPLE

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Posted 2025-05-02 by Vanessa ⇒ follow

Fri 16 May 2025 - Sat 24 May 2025

Some stories aren’t just watched - they’re felt.

Independent Theatre is kicking off its spectacular 2025 season with ORDINARY PEOPLE by American playwright Nancy Pahl-Gilsenan, adapted from American novelist and screenwriter Judith Guest's landmark novel of the same name.

This gripping drama will pull you in from the very first scene, exploring love, loss, and resilience in a way only live theatre can. Don’t just watch the magic - be a part of it!

ORDINARY PEOPLE was Judith Guest's first novel, published in 1976. It became an instant best-seller and went on to win the prestigious Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize for Fiction. The novel is still taught at a High School and University level, as a modern American classic.

On release, the novel immediately attracted the attention of Robert Redford, who chose it as his first film as a director. The resulting 1980 feature film, starring Mary Tyler Moore, Donald Sutherland, and the teenage Timothy Hutton, won the Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor.

Nancy Gilsenan's 1983 stage adaptation is a faithful translation of this much-loved book.

Conrad Jarrett is a regular teenager, living with his parents in suburban Chicago. His father is a successful taxation lawyer, and his mother is a highly organised member of their social and sporting set. Conrad is a straight-A student, and, like his older brother, Buck, a member of the High School swimming team and a keen sailor.

Then, the unthinkable happens - a sudden storm on Lake Michigan changes all their lives forever.

Directed by Rob Croser, the ensemble cast includes Callum Logan, Fahad Farooque, Lyn Wilson, and Steve Turner, and introduces three new faces to Independent Theatre audiences - Cleo Barker, Oscar McLean, and Olivia McAdam.

ORDINARY PEOPLE is raw, real, and unfiltered, diving deep into love, loss, and the struggle to move forward. It’s the kind of theatre that stays with you long after the final bow.

Choose from the following performances:
+ Friday 16 May 2025, 7:30 PM - 10:00 PM
+ Saturday 17 May 2025, 7:30 PM - 10:00 PM
+ Sunday 18 May 2025, 4:00 PM - 6:30 PM
+ Tuesday 20 May 2025, 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM
+ Wednesday 21 May 2025, 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM
+ Thursday 22 May 2025, 7:30 PM - 10:00 PM
+ Friday 23 May 2025, 7:30 PM - 10:00 PM
+ Saturday 24 May 2025, 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM

Star Theatre 1, 145 Sir Donald Bradman Drv, Hilton

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