Greta Gertler Gold Talks Writing Music For “Picnic At Hanging Rock!”

Today on The Roundtable with Robert Bannon, we welcome composer, lyricist, and musician Greta Gertler Gold to talk about her haunting and atmospheric new musical, Picnic At Hanging Rock. Adapted from the iconic Australian novel, Greta’s version transforms the mysterious disappearance at the heart of the story into a lush, psychological, musically rich world. Her work blends folk, classical, and theatrical influences, creating a soundscape that feels both timeless and eerily modern. In our conversation, Greta dives into the creative process behind building this musical—from capturing the novel’s sense of beauty and dread, to shaping complex characters in song, to exploring themes of girlhood, nature, repression, and obsession. She shares the inspirations behind the score, the challenges of adapting such an enigmatic story, and the emotional weight that has drawn audiences to Picnic At Hanging Rock for decades. It’s an intimate, thoughtful, and deeply artistic chat with one of musical theatre’s most inventive voices. Streaming on all platforms. RobertBannon.com • Instagram: @RobertBannonOfficial The best is yet to come. #TheRoundtableWithRobertBannon #GretaGertlerGold #PicnicAtHangingRock #NewMusicals #TheatreMakers #MusicCreators Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices