Words define our world and allow us to express our experiences or deny them entirely.
This truth unfolds with great clarity in Sydney Theatre Company‘s production of The Dictionary of Lost Words, directed by Jessica Arthur. Verity Laughton’s masterful adaptation of Pip Williams’ bestseller transforms what could have been a dry historical footnote into a mesmerizing exploration of lexicography, a pursuit which appears, on the surface, to be purely objective, but which was in fact a battlefield for women’s voices and lived experiences.
Set against the compilation of the first Oxford English Dictionary in 1886, the play begins with audiences meeting four-year-old Esme Nicoll (brilliantly portrayed by Shannen Alyce Quan) who discovers her own calling beneath the sorting table where her father, Harry Nicoll (Johnny Nasser) and his colleagues determine which words to include and exclude from the dictionary, a decision we realise has far greater consequences than we first envisage. In Esme’s hands, this becomes the genesis of her journey to capture the feminine experience omitted from official records.
Jessica Arthur and production designer Jonathon Oxlade orchestrate the decades-long plot with impressive dexterity across a striking bi-level stage. The separation of the Rosyln Packer Theatre into two vertical levels adds both literal and metaphorical depth to the show. The verticality of the stage becomes a physical manifestation of the hierarchies at play, and the ingenious use of an overhead projector casts magnified images of the characters’ interactions with various props on the table in the middle of the stage which provides some of the production’s most magical moments. These technical flourishes never overshadow the story but rather illuminate it, much like Esme’s dictionary illuminates the use of language by women in 20th century England.
Whilst the performance of the cast as a whole was excellent, Quan’s performance as Esme is especially tremendous. We witness her character’s evolution from curious child to a passionate advocate for the women around her whilst her personal growth is also reflected in the dictionary’s progression against the backdrop of the women’s suffrage movement and World War I. The seamlessness with which she navigates these transitions speaks to both Quan’s talent and Arthur’s nuanced direction. Equally impressive is Angela Nica Sullen, who demonstrates remarkable versatility in her multiple roles as Tilda, Sara, and Arthur, with each character distinctly realised yet contributing to the narrative’s rich tapestry, which is aided by the high quality costumes (designed by Alisa Paterson).
What emerges most powerfully from this production is the relationship between language, expression, and identity. As Esme collects words deemed unworthy by her male counterparts, the play subtly interrogates who gets to determine the vocabulary through which we understand our world. If any criticism is to be found, it’s that at 2 hours and 45 minutes, the production occasionally feels too slow in its pacing. Some editing might have sharpened the show’s impact without sacrificing its scope.
The Dictionary of Lost Words successfully delivers emotional resonance, offering a compelling exploration of how feminism permeates even seemingly neutral pursuits, like lexicography. Sydney Theatre Company’s production feels both historical and contemporary. This is a show that lovers of language, history and expertly crafted drama will doubtlessly commit to memory.
