In 1955, Ray Lawler’s Summer of the Seventeenth Doll marched from the stage at Melbourne’s Union Theatre to an award-winning London season. Told in the accent of its day, the play charted the battle between dreams and time, city and country, men and women.
‘The Doll’ was widely regarded as the turning point in Australian theatre history. It stunned and charmed audiences with a raw depiction of the Australian voice and story.
It played well in London and was made into a feature film with Angela Lansbury and Ernest Borgnine (albeit stripped of much of its character).
Playwright and actor Ray Lawler went overseas with the play, as many creatives did, to wash themselves of the so-called cultural cringe. But he was lured back in 1972 to work again at the Melbourne Theatre Company with the prospect of developing two prequel plays that trace the previous seventeen years of the key characters’ stories.
That work completed Ray Lawler’s Doll Trilogy—comprising Kid Stakes (1975), Other Times (1976), and the seminal Summer of the Seventeenth Doll (1955). The Trilogy is regarded as a cornerstone of Australian dramatic literature by the few who have read or seen the work.
Lawler remained a keen observer of change and challenge; in 2012 he updated dialogue and stage directions to make the play more accessible to contemporary audiences while preserving its essence. Ray died last year aged 103.
Presented play-by-play or three in one day
Here is Red Stitch’s pitch for your patronage:
“Lauded as a ‘watershed moment’ for Australian theatre in 1955, Summer of the Seventeenth Doll became part of our cultural mythology. Expanded with Kid Stakes and Other Times, Ray Lawler’s trilogy charts the transformation of a nation.
“In 2026, The Doll Trilogy will be performed in its entirety for the first time since 1985, by a single ensemble as Lawler intended. Experience the raw beauty, humour and heartbreak that have made these plays a cornerstone of our cultural identity.
“From the playful romance of Kid Stakes in 1937, through the war-shadowed years of Other Times, to the shattering conclusion of Summer of the Seventeenth Doll in 1953, the characters embody idealism, disappointment and resilience against the backdrop of a rapidly changing world. Lawler’s masterful writing depicts working-class Melbourne with warmth, humour and sensitivity.
“Written for a dedicated ensemble, The Doll Trilogy finds its ideal home at Red Stitch where intimacy, ambition, and the actors’ craft unite to immerse audiences in this uniquely Melbourne story.
“Told with Red Stitch’s trademark immediacy and directed by Artistic Director Ella Caldwell (Monument, Oil, The Antipodes), this production celebrates Red Stitch’s ensemble. The trilogy features an award-winning cast and creative team; with Caroline Lee (The Newsreader, Honour), Emily Goddard (Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?), Khisraw Jones-Shukoor (The Comeuppance) alongside long-term members Ngaire Dawn-Fair (The Flick) and Ben Prendergast (The Flick), with Damian Walshe-Howling (A View from the Bridge) and Lucinda Smith (Honour).
“Presented as the centrepiece of our 25th Anniversary Season, Ray Lawler’s The Doll Trilogy is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness the past and present of Australian storytelling in conversation.
“Whether you’re encountering Lawler’s characters for the first time or revisiting them with fresh eyes, The Doll Trilogy promises an unforgettable theatrical journey—one that speaks to who we were, who we are, and how the past continues to shape us.”
The Doll Trilogy performance schedule
The three plays are presented separately as the first three offerings in the 2026 season but offered back-to-back on three Saturdays—commencing at 12 pm on Saturday 7 February (preview), 28 February & 14 March.
The production of The Doll Trilogy is proudly supported by TWISK.
