Brisbane actress, Sarah Morrison has landed her debut starring role in Queensland Theatre Company’s musical production of ‘Ladies In Black’; a modern coming-of-age fairytale set in Sydney between the repressed 1950s and liberated 1960s.
Based on Madeline St John’s 1993 novel, ‘The Women In Black’, the story is set around Sarah’s character Lisa, a young woman who gets her first job in the dress section at prestigious F.G Goode’s department store.
“Lisa has just left school and this is her first summer job and foray into the working world,” Sarah explains. “Her real name is Lesley but she isn’t a big fan of Lesley because she thinks it’s a boy’s name. So without her parents knowing she tells everyone at work her name’s actually Lisa and that is her step of her coming-of-age, which is what the story really is.”
Through working in the store and her relationships with the various characters who inhabit the story world – especially the exotic European, Magda (Christen O’Leary) – Lisa begins to make choices and define herself outside the parameters of society’s expectations of her.
“In the play, Lisa catches the eye of Magda. I can’t speak for Christen, but from where my character sits, Magda wants to, in a sense, hold her hand and walk her through this transition period she’s going through and give her some of the tools she may need to become a woman.
“There’s a beautiful scene where Magda gives [Lisa] a mini-makeover and tells her to put some lipstick on, and tie her a hair a different way. She’s a real vehicle for Lisa seeing herself in a different way and being inspired to make these choices for herself, because at the end of the day it is her choice.”Sarah says Lisa’s progression into an independent modern woman parallels that of Sydney – and Australia for that matter – maturing into their own in the tumultuous time after World War II, but before the social upheaval of the 1960s counter-cultural revolution.
“It’s not just a coming-of-age of her, it’s about the city itself, and the country is going through the post-war period just before everything’s about to erupt. That’s what I think’s so beautiful about the story. It speaks more about Australia. Not just about this young girl, but how as a society things are shifting and things are starting to change for the better, especially for the women.”
As Queensland Theatre Company’s return to musical theatre, ‘Ladies In Black’ features lyrics and music composed by Tim Finn of Split Enz and Crowded House.
“He’s so passionate about these songs and it is an honour. The privilege of singing these songs that have been workshopped and are at the point where they are just gorgeous... The songs are so well woven-in that sometimes you don’t realise we’re singing. They come at a time in the plot where it’s the right time.
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"There’s comedy and a lot of stuff I sing is beautiful, eerie and quite poignant because [Lisa] wants to be a poet so she’s got this gorgeous naïveté about her. And as she goes through the story she slowly becomes a woman and goes through this transition."
Born and raised in Brisbane prior to attaining a Bachelor Of Arts in Music Theatre at University Of Ballarat Arts Academy, Sarah’s debut serves as her triumphant full-circle return to her beloved hometown.
“It’s such a beautiful 360 coming back to Queensland,” she says. “I went to performing arts schools here all the way through high school and primary school and it’s really special to have this opportunity to have my debut in this lead role, in my hometown and be able to have mum and dad there on opening night. That’s a dream and what more could a young actress want really?”
‘Ladies In Black’ performs Queensland Performing Arts Centre 14 November - 6 December.
