When Ray Lawler’s play Summer of the Seventeenth Doll premiered in 1955, it was a watershed moment in Australian theatre, given its groundbreaking portrayal of distinctly Australian characters. Set in Melbourne in 1953, it features cane cutters Roo and Barney, who return to the city between harvests to spend time with Olive and Nancy. But this year, things have changed. Nancy is married, so Olive has invited the rather condescending Pearl to take her place. What’s more, Roo is tired of cane cutting and wants to settle down. Two decades later, Lawler wrote two prequels: Kid Stakes set in 1937 and Other Times set in 1945. In a bold venture, Red Stitch’s Artistic Director Ella Caldwell is directing the trilogy – the first time all three plays have been staged together since 1985. You can see them separately or on one day. How will they fare today? Time will tell.

Limelight Editor’s Choice

Set in 1937 Depression-era Carlton, Kid Stakes introduces Roo, Barney, Olive and Nancy as young dreamers on the cusp of love and possibility. With humour, warmth and youthful bravado, the play captures the first sparks of the seventeen-year summer ritual that will define their lives. Olive’s mother Emma, accustomed to living through hard times, offers her wry perspective, while the young next door neighbour Bubba eagerly watches on.