Stuff Happens

Belvoir’s Company B production of David Hare’s ‘Stuff Happens is easily one of the best things to come out of the Sydney theatre scene this year. It is a production that wins on so many levels.

Brilliant British playwright David Hare has turned his pen of late to matters political. Recently the Sydney Theatre Company put on a production of his damning play about the state of the British railways, ‘The Permanent Way’. With ‘Stuff Happens’ Hare has turned his satirical pen to the American invasion of Iraq.

This Company B’s production is an embarrassment of riches. From the comfort of our theatre seats the audience gets to see the inside Story, and the power plays that led up to the American invasion and its aftermath. Sure the play was delivered with David Hare’s slant but that is after all a given!

Helming the production is the great handiwork of one of Australia’s finest directors, Neil Armfield. Armfield’s direction in this work just flows seamlessly. It is some of his best stuff.

‘Stuff Happens’ has a cast to die for. It is like a roll call of some of our finest actors; Peter Carroll, John Gaden, Leah Purcell, Rebecca Massey, Greg Stone, Russell Dykstra, to name a few, and they’re all in form.

My personal highlight from a great night in the theatre…It belongs to Peter Carroll. He plays Dominique de Villepin, the French politician who is asked by the Americans to vote in favour of them at the Security Council. He responds to the Americans by giving them a long list of times that the Americans have gone against their wishes in international affairs. He compares it to being like a lover who comes early in the morning after being unfaithful and wants to be accepted back in bed.
He tells them point blank that France won’t come to the party. The dialogue is cutting, and Carroll delivers it with such style.

Theatre doesn’t get much better than this!