Wayside Bride at Belvoir

REP SEASON: With Light Shining in Buckinhamshire

By: Alana Valentine

Co-Directed by: Hannah Goodwin, Eamon Flack

Those who don’t, or can’t, fit – and the Australian who made a space for them.

In a street out the back of the Cross is a very special place – the Wayside Chapel. It’s a haven for the poor, the excluded, the misfits. It’s a place of faith and a place of love. And it’s a place where people could declare their love – even when the rest of the world has turned you away.

"We were getting Wayside Bride ready for the spring of ‘21, and we’ve had to keep it on simmer into ‘22. You might remember a few years ago, back in BC times, we asked for stories of people who were married at the Wayside, and you responded with great enthusiasm and generosity. Now Alana’s put that mountain of material into a play of quiet heroism and heartache.

In our Inner Sydney haven we present a tribute to another Sydney haven. This may well be Alana’s boldest play to date. She is a national treasure. And see Light Shining in Buckinghamshire as well – the experience of seeing two plays with the same cast will make each play all the more haunting and rich. I’m really proud to say Wayside Bride will be the Belvoir directing debut for Hannah Goodwin, too. She’s been a marvel during unprecedented, difficult times." – Eamon Flack (Artistic Director)