STEEL MAGNOLIAS.

AUSTRALIA'S STEEL MAGNOLIAS HEAD TO ADELAIDE IN NOVEMBER

A new Australian production of Steel Magnolias will play Her Majesty's Theatre in Adelaide for a strictly limited ten performance season from 20 - 27 November. The Adelaide season brings to close a 30,000km national tour of the show to thirty venues, encompassing more than 150 performances.

Steel Magnolias - fragile as flowers, strong as steel - stars a luminous cast of Australia's favourite actors portraying the six funny and fabulous women in the American South including Ana Maria Belo, Jennifer Hagan, Debra Lawrance, Marian Frizelle, Geraldine Turner and Jacki Weaver.

Written by Robert Harling (Soapdish, First Wives Club), Steel Magnolias is the story of his own family, a heart-warming story of friendship, love and life, and a cathartic tribute to his sister, whom he'd lost to Type 1 Diabetes. Steel Magnolias went from off-Broadway play to worldwide smash hit movie in just three years. Robert attended the Sydney opening giving his seal of approval over this new Australian production. The show opened in June to rave reviews, is currently playing to capacity audiences across Australia.

Director Darren Yap said, 'The play's theme is that life must go on, and although the seasons pass with different challenges these six 'steel magnolias' withstand the hardships of life through enduring friendship and wonderful humour.'

Set entirely in the local hair and beauty salon of a small Louisiana town, Steel Magnolias follows the lives of six women who all have dynamic personalities including wise-cracking beauty salon proprietor Truvy Jones who firmly believes 'that there is no such thing as natural beauty'. Truvy is played by one of Australia's best loved and most respected performers - Jacki Weaver.

Truvy's new 'glamour technician' is the mysterious newcomer to town Annelle Dupuy bought to life by Ana Maria Belo whose television credits include All Saints, Home and Away and White Collar Blue. Salon regular and elegant widow of the former town mayor is millionaire Clairee Belcher played by Jennifer Hagan who has acted in companies throughout Australia mainly MTC and STC. It is the unlikely friendship between Clairee and the sharp tongued, cantankerous, retired, divorcee and town eccentric Ouiser Boudreaux that inspire the many hilarious one-liners. With a bark that is worse than her bite, Ousier Is played by Geraldine Turner.

Over the past three decades Geraldine has firmly established herself as a public favourite and a consummate performer. Following in the footsteps of Nicole Kidman and Julia Roberts who began their careers playing the role of Shelby Is Marian Frizelle. Since graduating in 2006 from the Australian Actors Centre, Marian has lived between Sydney and Los Angeles. She is an exciting newcomer to the Australian stage and one to watch. Playing M'Lynn the town social worker and mother of Shelby is one of Australia's favourite TV mum's Debra Lawrance, perhaps best known for her 8-year role as Pippa on Home and Away.

The last professional production of Steel Magnolias staged in Australia was in 1988 starring Nancye Hayes, Genevieve Lemon, Maggie Dence, Pat McDonald, Melissa Jaffer and then newcomer Nicole Kidman as Shelby.

Producers: Blackbird Productions; Director: Darren Yap; Designer: Graham Maclean; Lighting Designer: Bernie Tan; Composer: David Shrubsole; Sound Designer: Paul Tilley