Sydney Theatre Company Presents Cameron & Finn's POOR BOY 7/6-8/1

Sydney Theatre Company, Melbourne Theatre Company and Qantas by arrangement with Poor Boy Enterprises Pty Ltd and Llegup Pty Ltd present Poor Boy a play with songs by Matt Cameron and Tim Finn 6 July to 1 August 2009. Opens 9 July 2009 at 8pm at Sydney Theatre, 22 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay

Poor Boy by Matt Cameron and Tim Finn is a new multi-layered play with songs about two families whose fates collide through an inexplicable supernatural occurrence. The haunting drama is directed by Melbourne Theatre Company's Artistic Director, Simon Phillips (Rock ‘n' Roll, Priscilla Queen of the Desert The Musical, The 25th Annual Puttnam County Spelling Bee) at Sydney Theatre from 6 July to 1 August, opening on 9 July 2009.

The Priors have never been able to move on from the death of eldest son Danny (Matthew Newton) seven years ago. His young widow Clare (Abi Tucker) has not left her dead husband's family home, where she remains living with his mother and brother, since the day they returned from the funeral. Across town, another family prepares to celebrate the birthday of their seven-year-old son when he suddenly announces that he is in fact the dead adult Danny. As the two families converge when the boy reveals things he should never have known, the secrets of the living are as threatening as those of the dead.

Suffused with familiar and new Tim Finn songs including I Hope I Never, Persuasion, In a Minor Key and Poor Boy, sung live by the cast and accompanied by a 5-piece onstage band, the music is integral to the show as the lyrics take on different interpretations and contexts.

Matt Cameron's plays include Ruby Moon (directed by Andrew Upton for Sydney Theatre Company in 2007), Hinterland and Tears from a Glass Eye and television's SeaChange, Crash Burn and Stingers as well as the Awgie-winning Introducing Gary Perry.

Tim Finn has been acclaimed as a singer and songwriter for three decades both as a solo artist and with bands including as leader of the legendary 1970's group Split Enz, briefly with Crowded House and with younger brother Neil Finn as the Finn Brothers. Poor Boy is inspired by an original idea by Tim Finn.

Cast: Linda Cropper, Matt Dyktynski, Sara Gleeson, Matthew Newton, Sarah Peirse, Greg Stone, Abi Tucker

Director: Simon Phillips. Musical Director: Ian McDonald. Set Designer: Iain Aitken. Costume Designer: Adrienne Chisholm. Lighting Designer: Nick Schlieper.
Assistant Director: Naomi Edwards. Associate Musical Director: Mathew Frank. Associate Lighting Designer: Chris Twyman

Box Office 02 9250 1777 sydneytheatre.com.au. Tickets $30 - $85

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