Fifty years ago, the film Picnic at Hanging Rock had a profound effect on Australian cinema-goers. In 1975, the Peter Weir-directed film was part of the New Wave of Aussie cinema. Today it has a deserved place in a list of the most memorable homegrown films.
In an adaptation written by Tom Wright for the Sydney Theatre Company, four Victorian schoolgirls and their two teachers set out on a picnic. The date is Valentine’s Day 1900 and their destination is the nearby volcanic formation of Hanging Rock.
After lunch, the girls set off on a walk and the rest of the party falls asleep. However, only one terrified girl returns from the walk. A chilling mystery hangs over the fate of the others, along with one teacher, who has also gone missing.
A memorable production
The performances by the five young actresses in this STC production are outstanding, with each playing a number of characters. However the staging was a little sparse for my liking, with a carpet of gum leaves the main set decoration. The musical score and sound design by James Brown, however, is memorable and hauntingly reminiscent of the Australian bush that can switch from friendly to menacing in an instant. It perfectly complements the terrible events that ‘took place’ at the Rock and its pervading mystery.
Recommended for anyone keen to re-engage with the mystery of Hanging Rock or to perhaps encounter it for the first time.
Picnic at Hanging Rock
Sydney Theatre Company
Until 5 April, 2025
sydneytheatre.com.au
