As an ex-Sydneysider now living in Melbourne, I’ve missed the theatrical swagger of the Sydney Theatre Company. So when STC’s adaptation of The Talented Mr Ripley had landed at the Arts Centre, I was first in line, hungry for a few thrills.
Let’s start with the basics: Joanna Murray-Smith’s adaptation of the novel by Patricia Highsmith is quick and sharp, bouncing along like a European train trip. Sarah Goodes’ direction holds the audience close, drawing us deeper into Highsmith’s seductive characters with their world of glamour, frivolity, and deception.
First published in 1955, The Talented Mr Ripley introduced Tom Ripley—a young man prepared to lie and kill to ascend the social ladder. The story has been adapted numerous times, including the 1960 French film Purple Noon, the 1999 classic starring Matt Damon and Jude Law, and a recent Netflix series featuring Andrew Scott.
STC’s stage version is an intimate, minimalist affair punctuated by electrifying moments; most notably the murder of Dickie Greenleaf, a character Ripley obsessively desires. In the story, Tom Ripley is hired by Dickie’s father to bring his son home, plunging him into a glittering world of luxury and hedonism on the Italian Riviera. Intoxicated with this new social scene, Ripley begins to fashion himself after his target.
Will McDonald (Heartbreak High) portrays Tom Ripley, an orphan struggling in 1950s New York, gifted with a chilling talent for mimicry. David Fleischer’s set design, steeped in greys and yellows, evokes the glamour of the European setting and the menace behind Ripley’s mask. McDonald is rock-solid and assured as Ripley—equal parts nerdish charm and simmering threat. He’s joined by Roman Delo, who delivers a compelling performance as the irresistible Dickie Greenleaf. The scenes between the two men are unquestionably the most riveting. Rounding out the cast are Claude Scott-Mitchell as Marge Sherwood, one of the few who sees through Ripley’s disguise, Faisal Hamza as Freddie, and Andrew McFarlane as Herbert Greenleaf, who together conjure up Highsmith’s world of hidden desire and looming danger.
Tom Ripley’s sexuality in Highsmith’s novels is deliberately ambiguous; however, this production leans into Ripley being a closeted queer, especially in his obsession with Dickie Greenleaf. Highsmith herself was a lesbian; perhaps she laced The Talented Mr Ripley with her queer sensibility. Whether she did or didn’t, it’s a terrific tale, and STC’s production is strong, teasing the audience with Ripley’s queerness and killer charm to good effect!
Like many recent productions in Melbourne, Ripley runs long and skips the intermission. That means no leg stretch, no bathroom dash, and no relief from the creeping numbness in your seat. By the final act, you might find yourself doing the “bum shuffle”— that restless, twitchy feeling when your body wants out but your brain’s still hooked. It left me feeling that the script lost momentum in the final stages, as the ending arrives abruptly, almost mid-thought, leaving you unsure whether it’s truly over or just paused for breath.
Whatever its weaknesses in the final moments, this is a rip-roaring yarn with solid performances and direction. But if you’re planning to go, take a cushion. Your glutes will thank you. The advertising for The Talented Mr Ripley promised tension, passion, and spectacular suspense. I think it delivered on all fronts.
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