The year is 1886, the very first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary is being compiled, and four-year-old Esme Nicoll has a front row seat. (Well, she’s hiding under the sorting table.) As her father and his male colleagues decide which words stay and which go, Esme collects the discarded scraps to compile her own, far more magical dictionary.
Following a celebrated national tour, which won the hearts of theatre and literature lovers alike, The Dictionary of Lost Words returns to the Sydney stage for a limited season at the Roslyn Packer Theatre.
Based on Pip Williams’ award-winning New York Times bestseller, this popular stage adaptation written by Verity Laughton and expertly directed by Jessica Arthur (Grand Horizons, Wonnangatta) has been described in Time Out Sydney's four-star review by critic Jasmine Joyan as “a poetic experience… an astounding performance set during the seismic events of the late 19th and early 20th century, at the height of the women’s suffrage movement and the dawn of World War I”.
Arkia Ashraf and Ksenja Logos return to the production from the original 2023 staging, alongside six new performers including rising star Shannen Alyce Quan (Flat Earthers: The Musical) as Esme along with Kathryn Adams, Brian Meegan, Johnny Nasser, James Smith, and Angela Nica Sullen.
The story unfolds on Jonathon Oxlade’s “artistic masterpiece” of set design, with a stage-wide bookshelf serving as a marker for changes in setting in place. As Joyan describes it: “This creative design carries the emotional tone of the performance. The greatness of this play could not be praised without recognising the feat of creativity in Oxlade’s wonderful set design, which allows the audience to instinctively suspend their disbelief and immerse themselves in Esme’s life.”
“In a story which centres on language, Laughton’s script exceptionally translates the novel to stage. In particular, Esme’s monologue on her fervent love for lexicography invites an intimate moment between the audience and protagonist, painting a raw image of true passion and service to what you love,” adds Joyan.
“A little slow to start, this is a fantastically self-aware story of personal growth and moral development – not just for Esme, but for language itself. Do not miss out on the beauty of this show.”
A co-production between Sydney Theatre Company and State Theatre Company South Australia, this show is also a taste of what's to come from STC's new artistic director, Mitchell Butel, who initially commissioned it.
The Dictionary of Lost Words is playing at Roslyn Packer Theatre, Walsh Bay, from March 1–22. Tickets are on sale over here.
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