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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Entertainment
Emma Joyce

Queen’s secret Whitlam correspondence inspires Sydney Theatre Company play in 2027

Georgie Parker plays historian Jenny Hocking in The Palace Letters
Georgie Parker plays historian Jenny Hocking in The Palace Letters at Sydney Opera House in April. Photograph: STC/Holly Ward

Six years after the Australian historian Jenny Hocking won her legal battle to release secret correspondence between Queen Elizabeth II, Malcolm Fraser and the governor general John Kerr, her fight to reveal the truth about Gough Whitlam’s dismissal is being adapted for the stage.

The Palace Letters, announced on Monday as part of Sydney Theatre Company’s 2027 program, will have its world premiere at Sydney Opera House in April. It will star Georgie Parker as Hocking, with Jonathan Biggins playing Whitlam.

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