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This may be one of the most shocking, controversial plays shown by the Melbourne Theatre Company. Which makes its humour and success all the more surprising. Under Kate Cherry's direction, it does not pretend to be anything other than shocking: its chief subject matter is bestiality. However, with a brilliant cast and fine writing by renowned US playwright Edward Albee, Cherry finds a sense of pathos and truth that is powerful and challenging.
The scenario of a successful professional couple being rocked by infidelity and a mid-life crisis is taken a few grotesque steps further by Albee. The infidelity is so unimaginable and horrific that it is sometimes humourous, often perplexing and always tragic.
A rich New York architect, Martin (Philip Quast), has a happy and loyal marriage and family and he has just won a prestigious international prize. But he is unsettled, finally revealing to his best friend that he is having an affair with Sylvia. When Sylvia's identity is revealed, Martin's family is "brought down'' to a level that is foreign to them and terrifying.
The play explores issues of betrayal between husband and wife, father and son and best friends, raising very pointed questions about relationships and their extreme fragility. There are times when performances turn into stylised hysteria, which is uncomfortable but hardly surprising given the confronting subject.
Performances by Philip Quast, Wendy Hughes and Simon Corfield are raw and generous. Hughes is at her best when she is teetering on a precipice between anger and shame and Corfield is a stunning newcomer as the couple's son, Billy.
It is all held together in a masterful performance by Quast, whose complex portrayal of Martin gives the play the integrity it needs to become something more than simply shocking.
© Herald and Weekly Times
