Therese Raquin

Émile Zola’s “carnal, cruel masterpiece of French realism”, Thérèse Raquin, brings the notoriously dingy backstreets of Paris in the late 1800s to vivid life, at QUT Gardens Theatre.

A Critical Stages and Dirty Pretty Theatre production, Thérèse Raquin is a Gothic tale that’s stood the test of time for over 150 years. The serialised novel was labelled obscene when first published, so that guaranteed it plenty of attention! This Australian stage adaptation by Gary Abrahams recreates the visual splendour of 19th century Paris, and maintains the examination of corrupted morals as a murder takes place.

The lead character, Thérèse, while living a life of servitude and desperation, is married off to her sickly cousin despite there being no love between the two. Her friend’s husband, Laurent, is more to her taste and they begin an illicit affair, with ultimately tragic consequences.

Christopher De Groot has composed an original – and we’re assured terrifying – piano piece to match the psychological melodrama, as seven talented actors take to the stage. The cast includes Jessica Clarke, Andre Jewson, Marta Kaczmarek, Emily Milledge, James O’Connell, David Ross Paterson and Mark Wilson.

With Dirty Pretty Theatre being a Green Room Award-winning company and Critical Stages one of Australia’s leading producers of touring theatre, this production of a Zola classic is sure to be powerful theatre at its best. The Daily Review said of it, “It is in fact a beautiful adaptation, with all the colour and energy of the novel, but re-imagined as pure drama.”

*School Groups of 10+ $25pp

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By Vicki Englund

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