Sydney Theatre Company presents
THE TESTAMENT OF MARY
By Colm Tóibín

Australian premiere

The truth should be spoken

She is the Mother. She is the Virgin. She is the Saint. But, for two thousand years, Mary has been silent. A woman seen but not heard. Until now.

Irish writer Colm Tóibín has been shortlisted for the prestigious Booker Prize on three occasions. Most recently, in 2013, for The Testament of Mary, now adapted for the stage. In it, a profound new voice emerges. Several years after Jesus’ death, Mary recounts her son’s final days and provides a maternal perspective on a very familiar story.

Mary’s narrative is both clear-eyed and moving – bringing dimension and humour to a story of misfits, miracles and crucifixion. At its core beats the heart of a woman grieving an unbearable loss. The question is, was it worth it?

In the role is the Helpmann Award-winning Alison Whyte (Love and Information, Travelling North), an actor renowned for her visceral connection to language, her intelligence and her deep reserves of empathy.

Shaping the space around her are STC Resident Director Imara Savage (Hay Fever), Resident Designer Elizabeth Gadsby (The Hanging) and composer Max Lyandvert (The Golden Age). In their hands, a new kind of gospel will ring true.

"Plays as stark and strong as this don’t come along very often... this is a work of manifest integrity."
The Telegraph, UK