Sydney Theatre Company

Sydney Theatre Company (STC) is an Australian theatre company based in Sydney, New South Wales. The company performs in the Wharf Theatre at Dawes Point in The Rocks area of Sydney as well as the Roslyn Packer Theatre (formerly Sydney Theatre) and the Sydney Opera House Drama Theatre.

History Sydney Theatre Company was formed in December 1978, following the closure of the Old Tote Theatre Company the month before. The then premier, Neville Wran, approached Elizabeth Butcher who had been seconded from the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) to administer the Old Tote and asked her to set up a new state theatre company to perform in the drama theatre of the Sydney Opera House. Butcher established its legal identity and managerial structure and proposed the name 'Sydney Theatre Company' with John Clark (director of NIDA as the artistic adviser of the first season, five theatre companies were invited to produce six plays to be presented by STC as the 1979 interim season in the drama theatre. The first production, by the Paris Company, was A Cheery Soul by Patrick White (an Australian Nobel Laureate for Literature), directed by Jim Sharman and featuring Robyn Nevin as Miss Docker.

In June 1979, Richard Wherrett, then one of Nimrod Theatre's co-artistic directors, was appointed artistic director of STC to plan and organise activities for the 1980 season. The first STC-produced play was The Sunny South (1 January 1980) by George Darrell with music by Terence Clarke, directed by Richard Wherrett and assisted by John Gaden.

In its early years the company operated out of several rented premises around the city, producing 38 productions in five separate venues. Elizabeth Butcher, STC administrator, was given the task of finding one location that could house all the activities of the company, and a theatre. After an extensive search, Butcher had the vision to propose the derelict Walsh Bay Wharf 4/5 as STC's new home, immediately envisaging the capacity of the building to fulfil all requirements of space, location and additional venue. On 12 September 1983, the premier, Neville Wran, announced that the state government had approved the expenditure of $3.5 million to finance the project. The 60-year-old ironbark timber wharf warehouse was converted into premises suitable for creating, producing, performing and enjoying theatre.

The Wharf was officially handed over to STC in a plaque-unveiling ceremony on 13 December 1984. In 1985, The Wharf, by architects Vivian Fraser in association with NSW Govt Architect JW Thomson, won the Sir John Sulman Medal awarded by the Royal Australian Institute of Architects (NSW Chapter) for a work of excellence in public and commercial architecture. The first STC production in the Wharf Theatre (now Wharf 1), 17 January 1985, was Late Arrivals by Pamela van Amstel and directed by Wayne Harrison in his directorial debut. (Harrison went on to become the second artistic director of the company, in 1990.) The play was part of a season of one-act plays called Shorts at the Wharf.

Other performing arts companies and organisations later moved into the premises at The Wharf, including Sydney Dance Company, Ausdance, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, Gondwana Choirs, Sydney Children's Choir, Australian Theatre for Young People, and Bangarra Dance Theatre. Nearly 25 years later The Wharf was presented the RAIA 25-Year Award for Enduring Architecture.

Directors working regularly for STC include Gale Edwards, Barrie Kosky, David Berthold, Neil Armfield, Benedict Andrews and Kip Williams. Many Australian actors who would later find wider success, such as Hugo Weaving, Geoffrey Rush, Cate Blanchett, Jacqueline McKenzie, Richard Roxburgh and Toni Collette, established their careers in STC productions.

Jo Dyer was executive producer of STC for ten years.

In January 2024, Alan Joyce who was also the CEO of Qantas, resigned.

Artistic directors Year Artistic Director(s) Notes 1978–79 Elizabeth Butcher STC Administrator 1979 John ClarkSTC Artistic Advisor 1979–1990 Richard Wherrett 1990–1999 Wayne Harrison 1999–2007 Robyn Nevin 2008–2013 Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton 2013–2015 Andrew Upton 2016 Jonathan Church 2016–2024 Kip Williams 2024– Mitchell Butel

Greening the Wharf The Sydney Theatre Company operates out of a heritage site of the wharf area of Sydney Harbour. Under the leadership of Blanchett and Upton, STC initiated a comprehensive large scale environmental program called Greening the Wharf, investing in solar energy, rainwater harvesting, energy efficiency measures and best practice waste management. The program goes beyond infrastructure projects to include employees, environmentally responsible theatre production, community engagement and education. The program won two Green Globe Awards.

Awards and nominations Helpmann Awards The Helpmann Awards is an awards show, celebrating live entertainment and performing arts in Australia, presented by industry group Live Performance Australia since 2001. Note: 2020 and 2021 were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

| Stephen Page – The Sunshine Club (Sydney Theatre Company) | Helpmann Award for Best Choreography in a Musical

| Trudy Dalgleish – The White Devil (Sydney Theatre Company) | Helpmann Award for Best Lighting

|Peter Carroll – The Christian Brothers (Sydney Theatre Company) | Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor in a Play

| Nick Enright – A Man with Five Children (Sydney Theatre Company) | Helpmann Award for Best New Australian Work

|Nigel Levings – The Old Masters (Sydney Theatre Company) | rowspan="2"| Best Lighting

|[ John Rayment – Up for Grabs (Sydney Theatre Company)

|Miranda Otto – A Doll's House (Sydney Theatre Company)

|Deborah Kennedy – Soulmate (Sydney Theatre Company) |Helpmann Award for Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play

|Peter Carroll – Endgame (Sydney Theatre Company) |Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play

| Andree Greenwell – Volpone (Sydney Theatre Company) |Helpmann Award for Best Original Score

| Peter Carroll – The Republic of Myopia (Sydney Theatre Company) |Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play

| Zoe Carides – Influence (Sydney Theatre Company) |Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play

| Hamish Michael – Two Brothers (Melbourne Theatre Company & Sydney Theatre Company) | Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play

| Robyn Nevin – Summer Rain (Sydney Theatre Company) | Helpmann Award for Best Direction of a Musical

| Stella and the Moon Man – Kim Carpenter's Theatre of Image with Sydney Theatre Company and Australian Youth Orchestra | Helpmann Award for Best Presentation for Children

|Pamela Rabe – Mother Courage and Her Children (Sydney Theatre Company) | Best Female Actor in a Play

| Jefferson Mays – I Am My Own Wife (Melbourne Theatre Company, Sydney Theatre Company and Hothouse Theatre) | Best Male Actor in a Play

| Travis McMahon – Don's Party (Melbourne Theatre Company and Sydney Theatre Company) | Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play

|Benedict Andrews – War of the Roses (Sydney Theatre Company) | rowspan="2"| Best Direction of a Play

| Barrie Kosky – Women of Troy (Sydney Theatre Company)

| Robyn Nevin – Women of Troy (Sydney Theatre Company) | rowspan="3"| Best Female Actor in a Play

| Pamela Rabe – War of the Roses (Sydney Theatre Company)

| Cate Blanchett – War of the Roses (Sydney Theatre Company)

| Robert Menzies – War of the Roses (Sydney Theatre Company) |Best Male Actor in a Play

| Marta Dusseldorp – War of the Roses (Sydney Theatre Company) |Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play

| Ewen Leslie – War of the Roses (Sydney Theatre Company) | Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play

| Robert Cousins – War of the Roses (Sydney Theatre Company) | Best Scenic Design

| Max Lyandvert – War of the Roses (Sydney Theatre Company) | Best Sound Design

| Nick Schlieper – War of the Roses (Sydney Theatre Company) | Best Lighting Design

| Robyn Nevin – Long Day's Journey into Night (Sydney Theatre Company and Artists Repertory Theatre)

| Helen Thomson – In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play) (Sydney Theatre Company) |Best Female Actor in a Play

| Richard Roxburgh – Uncle Vanya (Sydney Theatre Company) |Best Male Actor in a Play

| John Bell – Uncle Vanya (Sydney Theatre Company) |Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play

| Nick Schlieper – Baal (Sydney Theatre Company and Malthouse Melbourne) | Best Lighting Design

| Justine Clarke – Les Liaisons dDangereuses (Sydney Theatre Company) | rowspan="2"| Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play

| Miranda Otto – The White Guard (Sydney Theatre Company)

|Helen Thomson – Mrs. Warren's Profession (Sydney Theatre Company) | Best Female Actor in a Play

| Nathaniel Dean – The Secret River (Sydney Theatre Company) | Best Male Actor in a Play

| Valerie Bader – Australia Day (Sydney Theatre Company and Melbourne Theatre Company) | rowspan="2"| Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play

| Miranda Tapsell – The Secret River (Sydney Theatre Company)

Sydney Theatre Company

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