The Newtown based Sydney Independent Theatre Company (SITC) is currently presenting the world premiere of New Zealand playwright Fiona Samuel’s award winning play THE LIAR’S BIBLE. Samuel’s play won the Special Prize for Woman Playwright and joint runner up in the Adam NZ Play Awards for her play in 2010.
This is a night in the theatre for those who enjoy cryptic, cerebral entertainment. The challenge of Samuel’s play lies in following the lives of six characters over a seven week period and working out the way in which their stories and journeys overlap and connect.
Director Julia Baz described her approach to the play in these terms in her program notes, ‘We used heightened but realistic performances and a relentless soundscape to formulate the world of the play.
‘David Jeffrey’s design was instrumental in resolving staging difficulties, the polaroid staging units work to contain the multiple locations, many short scenes and help create a claustrophobic, tightly wound atmosphere’.
With her fresh approach, Baz comes up with an engrossing production (Jeffery’s design work was indeed a highlight) and wins good, passionate performances by her cast in bringing Samuel’s pieces in a puzzle drama to life.
Mark Langham moves from a director’s role, (he was the director of the Genesian Theatre Company’s recent production of TERRA NOVA), to play the lead role of academic and poet, Leo, whose memoirs lend the play its title.
Langham doesn’t have that much ‘room to move’ with his often portrayed character of a philandering, narcissistic academic.
Cherilyn Price plays his second and current wife, Mary, a somber, restrained psychiatrist. Mary still manages to develop a nurturing relationship with Leo’s more flippant wife, Gabrielle.
Erin McMullen shines in playing Leo’s scatty, flirtatious, ambitious first wife Gabrielle.
Paul Armstrong shows some nice touches in the laid-back, quirky role of the wise-cracking, philisophising house painter Gus whom Gabrielle employs to paint a prosperity wall in her house!
Rebecca Scott gives a poignant performance as the vulnerable and a touch disturbed Baby, a student of Leo’s. She is so named because she was tragically abandoned by her parents after she was born, and before they had even given her a name.
John Michael Burdon played, maybe a touch too extreme at times, entrepreneur Dave, who was not short on get-rich initiatives or acumen for the foibles of Garbrielle.
Julia Baz’s premiere production of Fiona Samuel’s THE LIAR’S BIBLE opened at the Sydney Independent Theatre, 8A/32-60 Alice Street, Newtown on Thursday 3rd May and plays until Saturday 19th May, 2012.
(c) David Kary
16th May, 2012
Tags: Sydney Theatre Reviews- THE LIAR’S BIBLE, Fiona Samuel, New Zealand playwrights, Julia Baz, David Jeffrey, Paul Armstrong, John Michael Burdon, Mark Langham, Erin McMullen, Cherily Price, Rebecca Scott, Sydney Independent Theatre Company, Sydney Arts Guide, David Kary.
