Ladies in Black


Ladies in Black is an Australian musical with music and lyrics by Tim Finn and book by Carolyn Burns, based on the 1993 novel The Women in Black by Madeleine St John.

Synopsis

Set in Sydney in the 1950s, the musical tells the story of bookish school leaver Lisa who joins the sales staff in fashionable department store, F.G. Goode's. Over a summer that changes her life, she befriends the colourful denizens of the women’s clothing department. Each of the characters is on the precipice of change – facing independence, working for a living and what it means to be a woman.

Productions

Ladies in Black premiered in Brisbane in a season from 14 November to 6 December 2015 at the Playhouse, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, produced by the Queensland Theatre Company in association with the Queensland Performing Arts Centre. It transferred to Melbourne for the Melbourne Theatre Company, playing at The Sumner, Southbank Theatre from 16 January to 27 February 2016.
The production was directed by Simon Phillips with musical direction by Isaac Hayward, choreography by Andrew Hallsworth and orchestrations by Guy Simpson. The cast included Sarah Morrison, Christen O'Leary, Bobby Fox, Kathryn McIntyre, Lucy Maunder, Naomi Price, Carita Farrer Spencer, Kate Cole, Andrew Broadbent, Deidre Rubenstein and Greg Stone.
Ladies in Black was remounted for a four-city engagement in 2017:
The musical was very positively received.
The Age called Ladies in Black "a unicorn of the stage: a full-blown, home-grown musical that actually works" and "probably the best Aussie musical since Priscilla went global". It wrote: "Tim Finn's songs range from Broadway-inspired big numbers to true-blue ballads, from witty patter songs to shades of blues and jazz standards. They're beautifully integrated with the dramatic action, and the comic lyrics are priceless."
The Australian stated that Finn "has approached Ladies in Black with such wholehearted sincerity and creative generosity...creating an immensely engaging score filled with gorgeous melodies that make you care about the characters singing them."
ArtsHub indicated that "a comedy of mid-20th century manners, Ladies in Black is a paean to an optimistic future – the future of an uncomplicated gender equality and seamless multiculturalism. But Finn’s canny lyricism transports the play from its late 50s context to a subtle but salient comment on social issues of today."

Awards and nominations

Helpmann Awards

Ladies in Black was nominated for six 2016 Helpmann Awards including Best Musical. It received the award for Best New Australian Work.
YearAwardCategoryNomineeResult
2016Helpmann Awards---
2016Helpmann AwardsBest MusicalQueensland Theatre Company
2016Helpmann AwardsBest Direction of a MusicalSimon Phillips
2016Helpmann AwardsBest New Australian WorkCarolyn Burns and Tim Finn with Simon Phillips
2016Helpmann AwardsBest Original ScoreTim Finn
2016Helpmann AwardsBest Music DirectionIsaac Hayward
2016Helpmann AwardsBest Costume DesignGabriela Tylesova
2016----

Other

At the 2015 Matilda Awards for Brisbane theatre, Ladies in Black was nominated for Best Musical or Cabaret. Naomi Price received the award for Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role, and Sarah Morrison was nominated for Best Emerging Artist.
At the 2016 Green Room Awards for Melbourne music theatre, Ladies in Black received eight nominations, including Production, Female Lead, Female in a Supporting Role, Male in a Supporting Role, Set Design, Costume Design and Lighting Design.
At the 2017 Sydney Theatre Awards, Ladies in Black was nominated for Best Production of a Mainstage Musical.