Lisa McCune Returns to Sydney Theatre Company in MACHU PICCHU Tonight

One of Australia's most popular screen and theatre actors, Lisa McCune, returns to Sydney Theatre Company for the first time in a decade, in MACHU PICCHU, a new play by Australian playwright Sue Smith.

Directed by Geordie Brookman, with design by Jonathan Oxlade, the cast also features Darren Gilshenan, Elena Carapetis and Annabel Matheson. STC's co-production with State Theatre Company of South Australia begins a Sydney run tonight 8 March, followed by a season in Adelaide beginning on 13 April.

The theatrically rich, bluntly human and wickedly humorous MACHU PICCHU follows Paul (Gilshenan) and Gabby (McCune), two mid-life civil engineers who seem to have it all. After a deeply shocking event, they must re-learn how to approach the way they live their lives. Both are forced to reassess priorities and re-evaluate long held dreams. Exploring mindfulness, altruism and the challenge of staying true to oneself, MACHU PICCHU slips back and forth over the history of an ordinary - and extraordinary - love story. It's a celebration of courage that explodes the belief that bad things only happen to other people.

In a career spanning 30 years, Sue Smith has written everything from The Young Doctors and Sons and Daughters to The Leaving of Liverpool and Brides of Christ (both co-written with John Alsop). She has won AWGIE awards for The Road from Coorain and Mabo, which also won the 2012 Queensland Literary Award. Aside from her numerous television credits she also penned the feature film Peaches starring Hugo Weaving and Jacqueline McKenzie. Smith's play Kryptonite premiered in STC's Wharf 1 Theatre in 2014, another co-production with State Theatre Company of South Australia.

IF YOU GO:

MACHU PICCHU

Cast: Elena Carapetis, Darren Gilshenan, Luke Joslin, Annabel Matheson, Lisa McCune, Renato Musolino

Director: Geordie Brookman. Designer: Jonathon Oxlade. Lighting Designer: Nigel Levings. Composer: Alan John. Sound Designer: Andrew Howard

Box Office: 02 9250 1777. www.sydneytheatre.com.au. Tickets from $64 (fees apply)

Suncorp Twenties (tickets for just $20 for every performance by STC) become available for MACHU PICCHU from Tuesday 23 February. Suncorp Twenties are released for sale every Tuesday at 9am for the following week's performances (Monday to Saturday).

Insight Events:

Pre-season Briefing: Monday 29 Feb, 6.15pm, Wharf 2 Theatre

Audi Night with the Actors: Monday 14 March and Monday 28 March post-show.