The Documentary Podcast The Shiralee: D'Arcy Niland's 1955 Australian western
Nov 24, 2025
Kate Mulvany, a talented playwright and actor, shares her journey adapting D'Arcy Niland's The Shiralee for the Sydney Theatre Company. She discusses the challenges of transforming a chapterless novel into a play, reimagining perspectives, and her deep personal connection to the story. Kate recounts her experiences during rehearsals, from intense fight choreography to a heartfelt return to the stage after personal tragedy. The conversation also touches on the creative process behind staging the outback's vast landscapes and the emotional resonance of this Australian classic.
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Reframing The Classic Through Buster
- Kate Mulvaney reframes The Shiralee to show what Mac learns from his daughter, not just vice versa.
- She intends to make Buster a powerful agent who teaches Mac and reshapes the family's trauma.
Childhood Informs Creative Lens
- Mulvaney draws on her childhood in country Western Australia and her father's road-building work to inform the play's landscape and relationships.
- Her personal history with regional life shapes her empathy for itinerant characters and their struggles.
Structural And Moral Adaptation Challenges
- The novel's chapterless, continuous road structure posed a dramatic challenge for stage adaptation.
- Mulvaney sees Macaulay as intentionally toxic and aims to preserve that danger while balancing modern sensibilities.