The moving and timely true story of one of our country’s most intriguing public figures, Sydney Theatre Company presents the world premiere of Still Point Turning: The Catherine McGregor Story at the Wharf 1 Theatre until 26 May 2018.
From the age of eight, Catherine McGregor knew she was a woman. But first she would have to live as a man. She played many parts: son, brother, husband, athlete, soldier, speech writer. She worked in professions full of machismo, inside institutions built by men.
Every day was a challenge, and every challenge took its toll. In 2012, aged 56, McGregor faced a turning point: end her life, or transition as a woman. It is a story of a figure who moves easily between the different worlds of the military, politics and cricket. It’s a life of extremes: from the depths of alcoholism, to recovery; from the loss of her parents to the discovery of herself; from serving in East Timor to winning Queenslander of the year.
It also explores the journey she is on in transitioning as a woman: the experience of gender dysphoria, the reactions of her friends and colleagues, the public scrutiny, the important connections she has made. And the life-affirming reality of expressing herself as she truly is.
Drawn directly from countless hours of interviews with McGregor, Still Point Turning tells her story in her own words. It reveals a woman of fierce intellect, passion, incisive humour and profound feeling. It celebrates her tenacity without shying away from her faults. It is the true story of her true self.
Writer/director Priscilla Jackman, in her STC debut, has assembled a magnificent cast, led by Heather Mitchell (Cloud Nine) as Catherine, to bring this moving and timely true story to the stage.
“And I arrived at the same point every trans person does. If I am to live on, it would be as the person I felt myself to be, or I would die.” – Catherine McGregor
Director: Priscilla Jackman Featuring: Nicholas Brown, Andrew Guy, Chantelle Jamieson, Ashley Lyons, Heather Mitchell, Georgina Symes Designer: Michael Scott-Mitchell Lighting Designer: Nick Schlieper Composer & Sound Designer: Steve Francis Assistant Director: Charles O’Grady Consultant: Kelly Glanney
Still Point Turning: The Catherine McGregor Story
Wharf 1 Theatre – Pier 4, Hickson Road, Walsh Bay (Sydney)
Season continues to 26 May 2018
Information and Bookings: www.sydneytheatre.com.au
Image: Heather Mitchell as Catherine McGregor – courtesy of STC