★★★★☆
Anticipation was building. Miranda Otto’s soulful eyes had been staring at me from every bus stop and light rail ad all week.
It sells itself. Sydney Theatre Company at the Sydney Opera House. And with STC’s season already off to such a strong start with hits like Purpose and The Normal Heart, I had that dizzying, pre-show feeling that The River was going to be something great.
Here’s the synopsis, without spoiling anything: The River, written by Olivier and Tony Award winner Jez Butterworth, follows a man who brings a woman to his family’s cabin for the night. It’s romantic yet slightly unsettling. STC’s marketing copy promises “all is not as it seems.”
The world that director Margaret Thanos has built is stunning. It feels grounded but also slightly mythic. There’s a real restraint in her work. Her direction allows the space to breathe and doesn’t shy away from loaded silence. Thanos nurtures the distinct sense that something sinister is at hand.
Design by Anna Tregloan is captivating. The exposed frame of a cabin, sitting on this reflective, almost liquid floor. It feels like the river is swallowing the space. Strips of hanging fabric, surrounding the cabin, gave the illusion of a haunted world beyond.
Lighting by Damien Cooper stretches and shrinks the space. Flashing of lightning create beautiful, eerie shadows. Sam Cheng’s score has a folk like quality. It walks the line between this world and another.
The acting is exactly what you expect from a Sydney Theatre Company production. It’s exceptional. As always. Ewen Leslie, Andrea Demetriades, and Otto are all phenomenal. It’s a total masterclass in restraint and inner life.
Leslie anchors the show so confidently as the leading man. He’s stoic, but so clearly layered. You can see each thought churning beneath the surface. His monologue about a childhood memory of fly-fishing with his uncle genuinely took my breath away.
Otto is Australian royalty for a reason. And though much of her dialogue overlaps with Demetriades’, they each craft such distinct, equally compelling women. Their chemistry, all three of them, is completely palpable on stage. I was won over and immediately invested.
The writing I can only describe as being beautifully visceral. Working with such rich text and translating that clearly to an audience is so difficult. But these actors take this text and just place the images directly into you.
Spoilers ahead! Stop reading now if you don’t want even a hint!
The whole show feels like it’s building to something. It’s breadcrumbing you. Every step of the way you are urged to question everything. I was enjoying wading through it. There is a sense of foreboding. Hooded figures in the distance, witchy rituals and the looming threat of violence.
But when it comes to the payoff, it doesn’t quite land. I was left feeling like I needed more, that there were so many questions left unanswered. Was I reading into all of this too much? Is there something I’m just not getting? I don’t think so.
This doesn’t detract from the experience as a whole. Every other element is so strong. It is visually stunning, immersive and the performances are unreal. For me, it may have oversold on its promise, but that doesn’t detract from how beautifully crafted this show is.
The River is absolutely worth seeing. Go for the world and for the words. And stay for a masterclass in performance.
The River is presented by Sydney Theatre Company and runs to 16 May at the Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House. Bennelong Point Sydney NSW 2000.
Tickets: https://www.sydneytheatre.com.au/whats-on/2026/productions/the-river
Website: https://www.sydneytheatre.com.au/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/sydneytheatreco/
Photo credits: Daniel Boud
