It is with great sadness that on Saturday 27th September 2025, Tania McNaughton, who was the instigator and star of the play She Wrote The Letter, passed away. Tania gave me a great opportunity to adapt the years of letters she wrote to her East German friend, Ute, and it was a privilege to be a part of the play as playwright and learn about her life and special friendship with Ute.
Prior to the She Wrote The Letter seasons in 2022, Tania was also part of the team for The Truth is Longer Than A Lie which toured through Victoria in 2018 and did many Melbourne performances. More recently, she starred in The Artist by Portia Forrest at La Mama (2024) and did a wonderful performance.
Below is a summary of She Wrote The Letter and links to the fine reviews it received.
Tania will be forever missed.
She Wrote The Letter is a one act play based on a series of letters between Ute, a woman from Malchow in the former East Germany, and Tania, a woman from Hamilton, New Zealand. Beginning as teenagers in 1979, their 30 year correspondence examines the great divides of East and West and the strains and joys of maintaining a long distance friendship.
Directed by Cathy Hunt, the play had a fine opening season at St.Martins Theatre in South Yarra in April 2022. The play then transferred to La Mama Theatre, Carlton, Melbourne for a two week season from June 22 to July 3, 2022.
Reviews of the She Wrote The Letter seasons can be found below.
https://www.theatretravels.org/post/review-she-wrote-the-letter-at-st-martin-s-theatre
Kieran Carroll - Playwright 