The Great Australian Play

The play opens with an impressive monologue from actor Kurt Pimblett, recalling the swashbuckling tale of an Australian adventurer, who traverses the outback around the turn of the 20^th century and nearly ends up a “sun drenched skeleton.”

Based in part on the real-life claim of Harold Bell Lasseter, he regales that near death, he stumbled upon a treasure trove like gold-reef, and decades later nearly broke, he attempts to raise money to fund his trip to claim it.

When first staged at Melbourne’s Theatre Works the stage was covered in sand, but in the confines of the Old Fitz a tight spotlight focuses the audience’s attention on the story.

The set was built for the next scene, a century later in post pandemic Australia, where a TV production company is meeting in an office to brainstorm the pitching the story of Lasseter’s Reef as a TV series, in a last-ditch battle to save it from going under.

Intriguingly the character of Lasseter circles the television production meeting half ghost half participant.

The satire is sharp and biting, generating many laughs, doing for drama production what Frontline did for television current affairs. It felt like an amplified look at some of the issues writing teams grapple with.

In the office is a large video screen, used to display an impressive montage of classic Australian movies (put together by the Director Saro Lusty-Cavallari) and there are well-timed exchanges with other characters who zoom in to meetings (writer Kim Ho was one of zoom participants, which was amusing as he was sitting behind me in the audience).

Actors Idam Sondhi, Lucinda Howes and Mây Trần give pace to the comedy ,with Rachel Seeto having the delicious role of being the daughter of the boss, appointed only because of her family connection.

The second act goes in a different direction which almost felt at times like it was a different play, but eventually when the central narrative and satire returned, the audience was left impressed by the sharp writing of a young playwright who may yet write a classic great Australian play.

David Spicer

Photographer: Phil Erbacher