Acclaimed Australian playwright Joanna Murray-Smith returns to the dark, seductive world of Patricia Highsmith with a glittering stage adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley, set to premiere at Arts Centre Melbourne’s Playhouse from 28 October to 23 November 2025.
Following its world premiere season at Sydney Theatre Company in August, this psychological thriller will reunite Murray-Smith with director Sarah Goodes—the creative duo behind Julia and Switzerland—to transform Highsmith’s iconic novel into an electrifying theatrical experience.
Starring Will McDonald (Heartbreak High) as the enigmatic Tom Ripley, the production boasts a stellar Australian cast including Claude Scott-Mitchell, Faisal Hamza, Andrew McFarlane, and Johnny Nasser.
The story follows Ripley, a cunning outsider who infiltrates the lavish world of the wealthy Greenleaf on the Italian Riviera, only to become dangerously obsessed with assuming his identity—no matter the cost.
“I have long been invested in The Talented Ms Highsmith and her wildly strange and brilliant mind,” says Murray-Smith. “The world’s most famous serial killer has been waiting for his moment in the spotlight, and it’s now.”
First published in 1955, Highsmith’s novel has spawned multiple adaptations, most notably the 1999 cult film starring Matt Damon and Jude Law. Yet, as Goodes notes, the stage offers a uniquely intimate setting for Ripley’s psychological unraveling: “There’s something perennially intriguing about Tom Ripley, a character on the fringes, whose need for acceptance outweighs any moral code.”
The Melbourne season marks STC’s latest high-profile production following international successes like The Picture of Dorian Gray and the upcoming West End debut of Dracula. It also continues STC’s strong presence at Arts Centre Melbourne, with Murray-Smith and Goodes’ Julia set to run in June before Ripley takes the stage.
Presale tickets open 12 June at 12pm, with general public sales from 18 June. Don’t miss this chilling exploration of deception, desire, and identity—live and more intoxicating than ever.
