1 – 27 June 2015. Opening Night: Friday 5 June 2015 at 8.00pm

Wharf 1, Sydney Theatre Company, Pier 4/5 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay

First time playwright Kylie Coolwell describes her debut work, Battle of Waterloo, as a ‘love letter to her community’. At its heart, the play is a joyful celebration of this community in all its boisterous, passionate humanity. Directed by STC Resident Director Sarah Goodes, Battle of Waterloo premieres at The Wharf from 1 -27 June (Opening Night 5 June 2015).

Told with poetic realism, Battle of Waterloo centres on a community of people whose humanity, dignity and love binds them together, along with the shared pain of dispossession and loss that they are trying to overcome. Promising young fashion designer, Cassie (Shari Sebbens) is thrown off kilter when her boyfriend Ray (Luke Carroll) returns from three years inside. With a flair for dramatic writing, Coolwell’s characters swirl in and out of the James Cook Estate with the force of a tornado.

The genesis of play came in early 2013, when Playwriting Australia teamed Sarah Goodes with NIDA trained actress, Kylie Coolwell for a week-long workshop as part of their Redfern Salon program. The play was then developed through STC’s Rough Draft program, before being programmed as part of STC’s 2015 main stage line-up.

Following her acclaimed direction of STC’s award-winning production of Switzerland, as well as other new plays including Vere (Faith) and The Splinter, Sarah Goodes has cemented her reputation for collaborating closely with playwrights to bring new Australian work to the stage. For Battle of Waterloo, she is reunited with Designer Renée Mulder, with whom she collaborated on The Effect, The Splinter and Edward Gant's Amazing Feats of Loneliness for STC.

Shari Sebbens (The Sapphires) makes her STC debut alongside Luke Carroll (Redfern Now) and an exceptional cast of indigenous actors.

Cast: Luke Carroll, Shareena Clanton, Roxanne McDonald, Billy McPherson, Shari Sebbens, Guy Simon, James Slee

Please note Hunter Page-Lochard, originally advertised to feature, has withdrawn from the production.

Director: Sarah Goodes. Designer: Renée Mulder. Lighting Designer: Verity Hampson. Composer & Sound Designer: Steve Francis

Box Office: 02 9250 1777. sydneytheatre.com.au Tickets: from $40 (fees apply)

Suncorp Twenties become available from 26 May and are released for sale every Tuesday at 9am for the following week’s performances (Monday to Saturday).

Insight Events:

Pre-season Briefing: Monday 25 May 6.15pm. Wharf  2 Theatre

Audi Night with the Actors: Mon 15 June (post-show)

Presenting sponsor: Allens