THE DICTIONARY OF LOST WORDS Will Embark on Australian Tour

Sydney Theatre Company and State Theatre Company South Australia’s adaptation of The Dictionary of Lost Words will play a strictly limited encore season at STC’s Roslyn Packer Theatre from 1-22 March 2025, as part of a six-city national tour including Geelong, Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra and Wollongong.

Rising star Shannen Alyce Quan (Little Women, Six) is set to take on the role of feminist trailblazer Esme Nicoll, joining new cast members Brian Meegan, Johnny Nasser, James Smith, Angela Nica Sullen and returning cast Arkia Ashraf, Rachel Burke and Ksenja Logos.

Playwright Verity Laughton’s adaptation of Pip Williams’ New York Times bestseller, directed by Jessica Arthur (Grand Horizons, Wonnangatta), first won the hearts of theatre and book lovers alike when it premiered in Adelaide in 2023, breaking box-office records at the Dunstan Playhouse before going on to play sold-out seasons in Sydney and Melbourne.

STC Artistic Director and co-CEO Mitchell Butel, who commissioned the work while Artistic Director at STCSA, said, “It’s been so heartening to witness the critical acclaim, the audience love and the sold-out seasons for this gem of a show in its first outings in Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne. I'm thrilled that new audiences, and those who want seconds, will get to experience the heart, wit and epic sweep of this genius adaptation of such a beloved, important and affecting Australian novel about words that should never have been lost and the heroes who found them.”

Williams’ sweeping historical tale captured the imagination of hundreds of thousands of readers around the globe after being recommended by book club trendsetters like Reese Witherspoon and translated into an extraordinary 28 languages.

Now a beloved modern classic, The Dictionary of Lost Words presents a tender reflection on the love between a daughter and her father as it follows Esme from her childhood in the 1880s, into adulthood at the height of the women’s suffrage movement and the beginning of the First World War.

The creative team bringing this enthralling story to life features Jonathon Oxlade (Set Designer), Alisa Paterson (Costume Designer), Trent Suidgeest (Lighting Designer), Max Lyandvert (Composer & Sound Designer) and Shannon Rush (Assistant Director).

Tour Dates

Sydney March 1 to March 22 – Rosyln Packer Theatre
Geelong March 27 to March 29 – The Play House, Geelong Arts Centre
Adelaide April 3 to April 17 – Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide Festival Centre
Brisbane April 26 to May 10 – Playhouse, Queensland Performing Arts Centre
Canberra May 15 to May 24 – Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre
Wollongong May 29 to June 7 – Merrigong Theatre Company