Lynn Nottage is the superstar writer of two Pulitzer Prize-winning plays and, in 2023, became America’s most produced living playwright. In 2024, Sydney Theatre Company mounted the Australian premiere of her second Pulitzer winner Sweat, the critically acclaimed slice-of-life masterpiece, featuring Australian acting icons Paula Arundell and Lisa McCune.

Set in Reading, Pennsylvania, Sweat tells the story of a group of factory workers trying to keep their heads above water as the American steel industry collapses around them. At the centre of this group are Tracey, Cynthia and Jessie – three old friends who’ve seen each other through everything; births, deaths, marriages and a single workplace for their entire adult lives. When Tracey (McCune) and Cynthia (Arundell) go for the same, long-fought-for promotion, deeply buried tensions begin to boil over into a compelling and touching drama.

Since its premiere, Sweat has captured audience imaginations in extended runs on both Broadway and the West End. In this new production, Director Zindzi Okenyo (Is God Is) will create a moving, and absorbing piece featuring a cast of eight incredible actors, including Gabriel Alvarado, Yure Covich, James Fraser, Deborah Galanos, Markus Hamilton and Tinashe Mangwana.