The Sydney Theatre Company has announced a star-studded cast for its adaptation of the classic psychological thriller “The Talented Mr. Ripley.”
Brought to life by the award-winning duo of writer Joanna Murray-Smith and director Sarah Goodes, the production will feature Will McDonald (Netflix’s “Heartbreak High”) as Tom Ripley, a cunning orphan willing to kill to achieve his desires in 1950s New York.
The adaptation will also feature Claude Scott-Mitchell (“The Last Anniversary”), Raj Labade (“The Office”), Faisal Hamza (“House of Gods”), Andrew McFarlane (“The Newsreader”) and Johnny Nasser (“Heartbreak High”).
Murray-Smith said reuniting with Goodes for the production was a “job sent from heaven,” revealing her excitement at covering a novel written by the “wildly strange and brilliant mind” of Patricia Highsmith.
“The world’s most famous serial killer has been waiting for his moment in the spotlight and it’s now,” Murray-Smith said.
Goodes added: “It’s remarkable how enduring the appeal of ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’ remains, 70 years after Patricia Highsmith first published her novel.”
“There’s something perennially intriguing about Tom Ripley, a character on the fringes, whose need for acceptance outweighs any moral code. The stage is the perfect setting for such rich psychological material, his slippery identity, his shame and his cunning talent for impersonation.”
“It’s a real privilege to unite once again with Joanna Murray-Smith and Sydney Theatre Company to bring the mercurial Tom Ripley to life with this outstanding cast and creative team.”
Debuting in the Roslyn Packer Theatre on August 19, it’s the latest in a long line of adaptations of the novel – including the 1999 film featuring Matt Damon as Ripley and a 2024 Netflix miniseries featuring Andrew Scott and Dakota Fanning.