Nobody Lonesome For Me

(The musical)

Craig McLachlan as Hank Williams, The King of Country

 

Australian Premiere Production and Tour 

Commencing for a national tour, this will be one of the most exciting productions of the year, featuring Australia’s own international star, Craig McLachlan as Hank and one of our best music performers, Chris Goodall as the Phantom Guitarist.

Craig McLachlan gives a mesmerizing performance as Hank Williams, as he struggles with his loves and his current reality.

Experience the songs, the pain and the laughter of life, in this remarkable piece of theatre.

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The Play

Written by celebrated playwright Lanie Robertson, the action takes place at a wayside garage stop on New Years Eve 1952, the night of Hank’s death. In the manner of other award winning plays by Lanie Robertson this is a one person bio play, with just the character of Hank and a phantom guitarist and band to accompany the songs interspersed throughout the action.

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Hank Williams

One of Country music’s greatest legends, Hank Williams was born in 1923 in Alabama.  Regarded as one of the most significant and influential American singers and songwriters of the 20th Century, his career began at 15 when a local radio station hired him to present a 15 minute program.

 

With many recordings to his name he had his first hit in 1947 with “Move it on over” which resulted in him joining the radio programme “Louisiana Hayride” and The Grand Ole Opry, one of country’s greatest institutions. Though unable to read or notate music to any degree his hits kept coming with “Your Cheatin’ Heart”, “Hey Good Lookin’” and “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”.

 

Years of alcoholism, back pain and prescription drug abuse severely compromised his health and he died suddenly on New Years Day 1953 on the way to a concert. He was just 29.

 

His influence extended to artists like Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and the Rolling Stones.  After his death honours poured in resulting with a posthumous Pulitzer Prize in 2010 for playing “ a pivotal role in transforming country music into a major musical and cultural force in American life”.

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