Billie Palin will play pirate queen Silver Tongue opposite Marty Alix as Jim in the world premiere of Silver Tongue, a new Australian musical opening at Hayes Theatre Co on 13 November. Written by Miranda Middleton, Jacob Parker and Alec Steedman, the musical reimagines Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. Hayes Theatre Co has developed the work over several years, with its original score drawing on sea shanties, folk and orchestral music.
The story follows Jim, a young person navigating questions of ambition and identity, whose pursuit of a map and a myth brings them into the orbit of Silver Tongue. Part mentor and part menace, the pirate queen joins Jim on a treasure hunt complicated by double-crosses and shifting loyalties, leading both towards questions of truth, redemption and how to write their own stories.
Palin (Pirates of Penzance) and Alix (Hamilton) are joined by Natalie Abbott (Muriel’s Wedding) as Dick, and Hayes Theatre Co-Artistic Director Victoria Falconer (My Brilliant Career) as Peg. Falconer also serves as Music Director. Jack Green (Bright Star) plays Squire / Dad, Tana Laga’aia (Jesus Christ Superstar) plays Hands and serves as Assistant Music Director, and Shannen Alyce Quan (Little Women) plays Livesey. Composer Alec Steedman (Bright Star) will perform on stage on violin, while Lawrence Hawkins (RENT) joins the production as a standby.
Hayes Theatre Co Co-Artistic Director Richard Carroll (Pirates of Penzance, Calamity Jane) directs, with Vi Lam (Miss Saigon) as Movement Director and co-writer Middleton (Bright Star) as Assistant Director. Carroll said the musical’s approach to Treasure Island, and an early encounter with one of its songs, helped establish its place at Hayes:
This extraordinary show captures everything we love about music theatre – it’s epic, silly, imaginative, ambitious, hilarious, moving, and so much more. From hearing the first notes of Alec’s beautiful song “Write My Story”, we knew this ingenious re-telling of the story of Treasure Island belonged on the Hayes stage.
Falconer reflected on the score’s musical influences and the process of developing the production with its writers:
Alec, alongside co-writers Miranda and Jacob have created a real rollicking tale with a rich, sea shanty-infused, folky-orchestral score; it’s been a pleasure to develop it with them over the past few years. We can’t wait to bring the tale to life with our brave and brilliant team of actor-musicians.
Silver Tongue opens at Hayes Theatre Co on 13 November 2026. Tickets are available through the Hayes Theatre Co website.
