An unforgettable moment sparks the creation of Sisters
After more than two years of writing, collaboration and creative development, Perseverance Street Theatre Company is preparing to premiere its third professional production, Sisters, a dark feminist fantasy written by Dr Sharon Hogan and Sofia Abbey.
For co-writer Dr Sharon Hogan, the journey began not with a clear concept, but with a single moment she could never quite leave behind.
“People often ask where ideas come from,” Hogan said. “The truth is that the stories worth telling rarely arrive on command. They linger. They stay with you until they become impossible to ignore.”
That moment occurred in 2009.
“It was frightening, darkly comic and surreal. Over the years it kept resurfacing in my mind, replaying itself and demanding attention. I didn’t know exactly what it would become, but I always sensed it belonged on stage.”
Working alongside fellow playwright Sofia Abbey, Hogan transformed that memory into a fictional story centred on two sisters confronting a life-altering night in an isolated beach town.
Set in a regional coastal community cut off after a storm, Sisters explores the volatile bond between women connected by blood, history and shared secrets. As a husband lies possibly dying in the next room, the sisters are forced into an impossible moral crossroads.
“What interested me was the question of what happens when the person you’ve shared everything with begins to move on,” Hogan said. “How does that change a relationship? And what happens when a crisis forces you to confront everything left unsaid?”
The writing process involved seventeen drafts and three separate creative development workshops with actors and dramaturgs.
“Hearing the words spoken aloud changed everything,” Hogan said. “The actors challenged us to dig deeper, rethink scenes and strengthen the emotional truth of the work. Those developments were invaluable.”
The production is currently in rehearsal with acclaimed actor Kerith Atkinson and Sunshine Coast performer Jo Loth leading the cast.
Produced by six-time Matilda Award nominees and presented by Perseverance Street Theatre Company, Sisters is atmospheric, provocative, darkly funny and deeply unsettling.
“At its heart, this is a story about sisterhood, love, distance and change,” Hogan said. “It’s about the relationships that shape us and the truths we carry for years. I hope audiences recognise something of themselves within it.”
Sisters will premiere in Gympie from 15–20 June before a Brisbane season.
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
Starring acclaimed actors Kerith Atkinson and Jo Loth, Sisters is a dark feminist fantasy exploring the volatile bond between two women bound by blood, history and buried rage. Set in an isolated beach house, the story unfolds over one charged night as the sisters face impossible choices and long-suppressed truths.
Tickets and information: Humanitix – Sisters
Performance Dates: 15–20 June 2026
Venue: Perseverance Street Theatre Company Studio, Gympie
