Facing the Final Chapter: ‘Dying: A Memoir’ Takes the Melbourne Stage in a Profound New Adaptation

Dying: A Memoir

Cory Taylor’s Acclaimed Memoir Comes to Life on Stage

This spring, Melbourne Theatre Company brings to the stage one of the most talked-about Australian memoirs of the last decade—Dying: A Memoir by Cory Taylor. Running from 25 October to 29 November 2025 at the Arts Centre Melbourne’s Fairfax Studio, this thought-provoking production is a deeply moving theatrical meditation on mortality, identity, and the things we leave behind.

Adapted for the stage with exceptional sensitivity and clarity by celebrated Australian writer Benjamin Law, Dying: A Memoir invites audiences to sit with the discomfort, beauty, and honesty of confronting death—and, in doing so, to better appreciate life.

 

An Honest and Courageous Exploration of the End of Life

Based on Cory Taylor’s bestselling memoir, the play tells the story of her final months after receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis. Rather than dwell in despair, Taylor reflects with remarkable lucidity on her life, her fears, her family, and the process of dying itself.

This stage adaptation distills her poetic, raw and unsentimental prose into an 80-minute performance that is both heart-wrenching and deeply affirming. It is not a eulogy, nor a lament—it is an invitation to witness a remarkable life being examined with grace and courage.

 

Benjamin Law’s Thoughtful Adaptation Finds Humanity in Every Line

Benjamin Law

Known for his sharp wit and emotional nuance, Benjamin Law has adapted Dying: A Memoir with a clear understanding of its delicacy and depth. His stage version captures both the intellectual weight of Taylor’s reflections and the intimate emotions that pulse beneath them.

In this minimalist production, words take centre stage. The power of storytelling—and the vulnerability of speaking one's truth near the end of life—becomes the driving force of the performance. The result is a theatre experience that lingers long after the curtain falls.

 

A Quiet Yet Powerful Theatre Experience in the Heart of Melbourne

Held at the Fairfax Studio in Arts Centre Melbourne, this intimate venue is the perfect space for a production as personal as Dying: A Memoir. With a limited-capacity setting, the performance feels like a private conversation between author and audience, allowing every word and silence to resonate.

For theatre lovers, readers of contemporary Australian literature, and anyone seeking a meaningful cultural experience, this is an unmissable event on Melbourne’s 2025 arts calendar.

 

Dying: A Memoir

Adapted by: Benjamin Law
Based on the memoir by: Cory Taylor
Presented by: Melbourne Theatre Company
Venue: Arts Centre Melbourne, Fairfax Studio
Season: 25 October – 29 November 2025
Run Time: 80 minutes (no interval)

Tickets and Information: Visit https://mtc.com.au

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