Meurants Lane

“Where we love is home – home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts.” – Holmes.
While travelling abroad, writer and director Christopher Yaacoubian felt a longing for his family back home in Sydney. He searches into his Armenian Lebanese roots and respectfully explores the consequences of intergenerational trauma during the civil war (1975), along with themes of loss, grief and sibling rivalry. He decides to write a play. 

The morning of Baba’s funeral, two brothers Bedig (Michael Todorovic) and Vicken (Yerasimos Raftos), brace each other for the big sad day. The younger brother Serj (Sorab Kaikobad) shows up days later, after their grieving mum was sent back to Lebanon to be with her family. Serj, the more subdued of the three brothers, has been away soul searching, battling his own personal demons, but Bedig cannot forgive him for failing to attend their father’s funeral.

Bedig lives in the family home on Meurants Lane, he has mental issues and finds solace in amateur Boxing. Vicken is a convicted drug dealer, lives on a razors edge and has a five-year-old daughter. There are unresolved issues, heated conversations and anguish. Serj severed family ties some time back. He has no remorse for not attending the funeral but what is revealed is a deep seated resentment towards his father. Bedig does not understand Serj; they are both on opposite sides of the fence. Vicken is laid back; he wants to chill, spend time with his siblings and party in memory of their loss.

There is great dramatic tension in this slow burning play. Meanwhile, on the flip side, when everything has been revealed - ugly memories, tears shed, and drunken stupors gone horribly wrong - forgiveness is all that is left.

This is a true to life drama that speaks a universal language of love, remorse and mercy.  Unrelenting and powerful performance by three impeccable actors directed with passion and conviction by Yaacoubian.

Flora Georgiou

Photographer: Darren Gill