BATTLE OF WATERLOO

The sun sets over Waterloo, lorikeets call out the end of the day and the hum of music, cooking and conversation seep through the walls of the James Cook building. This is Sydney.

Two sisters, Cassie and Sissy, live with their Aunt Mavis in an apartment surrounded by dozens like it. When Cassie’s boyfriend Ray returns from three years in jail, the family’s relationships, their hopes and their failings all come into stark relief. When do you choose to run away? And when do you choose to stand tall for those you love?

Playwright Kylie Coolwell makes an extraordinary debut – her vision of Sydney is both boisterous and engaging. With echoes of Tennessee Williams, Battle of Waterloo is by turns hilarious, tender and fierce.

APT