THE SPARE ROOM

About the show

When Helen’s old friend, Nicola, comes to town for treatment, it only makes sense she should stay in the spare room. Nicola has put her faith in a shady alternative cancer clinic, and Helen is determined to be her brilliant friend and carer no matter what. But as the sleepless nights rack up, a short stay in the spare room becomes a loving, maddening battle for life. Helen Garner’s novel has been praised for its empathy, emotional honesty, hawk-eyed detail and perfect prose. Now, with Judy Davis as Helen and Elizabeth Alexanderas Nicola, it’s a tour-de-force of modern Australian theatre. I’ll call it: Helen Garner’s our greatest living writer. I’ve been dreaming for years of putting her work on stage. The Spare Room looks like a story about dying but it’s really about what we live for: each other. It’s also by turns naughtily funny, sympathetic, cruel, invigorating. And, let’s cut to the chase, here’s a chance to see Judy and Liz in complex, nuanced roles they were born to play. It’ll only be on for a few weeks in June and July – you’ll regret it if you miss it. – Eamon