Razorhurst Premieres at Hayes Theatre In 2019

As part of its 2019 season, Hayes Theatre Co will present the Australian Premiere of the new musical, RAZORHURST. Set in Sydney’s Darlinghurst, this new musical, with book and lyrics by Kate Mulley and music by Andy Peterson, is being performed at Hayes Theatre Co from 14 June 2019.

From the 1920s until the 1930s, two vice queens, Kate Leigh and Tilly Devine, ruled the Darlinghurst underworld. Their rivalry was infamous, leading to a litany of violent crimes enacted by their razor gangs as each struggled to gain dominance in a world of sly grog, narcotics and prostitution. In 2019, Kate Leigh’s former sly grog shop is about to reopen as a trendy coffee spot. The shop is being gutted for renovation, but there are still ghosts in the walls who aren’t done settling old scores.

RAZORHURST explores what it means to be a woman in a man’s world, forced into a life of crime by circumstance -  a “compelling meditation on the explosive cocktail of gender, class, and power underlying an infamous period in the history of crime” (Newark Star-Ledger).

New York-based director Benita De Witt returns to Australia to make her Hayes Theatre debut and says of the musical, "RAZORHURSTis a two-person musical that brings to life the wickedly brilliant Kate Leigh and Tilly Devine, two female crime bosses who ran rival gangs in the Sydney underworld in the 1920s to 1940s. The show is based on true historical events, many of which unfolded in and around Darlinghurst, so naturally the Hayes is the perfect fit for this Australian premiere.”

De Witt continues, “These characters are deeply flawed. Kate Leigh and Tilly Devine were not traditional leading ladies, they were violent criminals who built empires out of drugs, alcohol and prostitution, but they also engaged in charity work and earned the respect of their community. I wanted to direct this musical because the world remains a dangerous place for women and we need more stories of women carving out their own spaces. Both of these women grew up in difficult circumstances and made lives for themselves and their families. They were far from perfect, but they were real, and they were savvy and their story deserves to be told."

RAZORHURST was commissioned by and received its World Premiere at Luna Stage, West Orange, New Jersey.

Tickets for RAZORHURST are available at hayestheatre.com.au or by calling the Hayes Theatre Co box office during business hours on (02) 8065 7337.

Hayes Theatre Co presents

RAZORHURST

Presented by with Hayes Theatre Co

Book and Lyrics by Kate Mulley

Music by Andy Peterson
Directed by Benita De Witt

Hayes Theatre Co, 19 Greenknowe Ave, Potts Point

Performances from 14 June 2019
Mon 6.30pm| Tues- Sat 7.30pm | Wed 1.00pm | Sat 2pm $60.00 - $70.00 Adult, $55.00 - $60.00 Concession hayestheatre.com.au | (02) 8065 7337.

Photographer: Marnya Rothe