Bronwyn Fullerton

LIBERTY EQUALITY FRATERNITY

Caroline Brazier(Orlagh) and Helmut Bakaitis(Walter).Pic Heidrun Lohr

Facebook users are constantly challenged about their privacy and who is controlling it. Who is reading our emails? Credit card and identity theft are invading our comfort zones with unsettling regularity.

Geoffrey Atherden is a multi-award winning Australian writer, best known to television audiences for his wonderful ABC series, MOTHER AND SON. His latest play, LIBERTY EQUALITY FRATERNITY, takes us on an imaginary journey into the absurd world of a National Security Agency. It explores the ‘fine line between our impulse to share information with the world and our right for that information to remain private’.

Intelligent PHD graduate, Orlagh O’Connor, (Caroline Brazier), finds herself locked in a room with inexperienced interrogator, Arki – aka Alex Porebski (Andrew Ryan). She is told her children will be picked up from school, but Arki, will not elaborate.

She is confronted by her own images from Facebook, emails and candid camera photos of her at suspicious rallies on a huge smartboard screen behind her. The sparring begins and the scene becomes funnier as Orlagh is asked why she is dressed as Osama Bin Laden at her birthday party. She tries tactics to dominate Arki, then finds out that he’s being watched as a trainee.

The higher ranking Walter Silverstein (Helmut Bakaitis) swaps roles with Arki and offers Orlagh a more intelligent response.

We are left wondering what is really going on throughout the play.
Atherden’s script is fast, crazy and very funny, yet has an undercurrent of sinister truth,– a touch of the Guantanamo Bay-esque nightmare.

The performances are wonderful, enhanced by the skilful direction of Shannon Murphy, who successfully juggles the balance of light and dark.

Caroline Brazier combines agitation, disbelief, wit and dry humour to create her very three-dimensional character.

Andrew Ryan brings a lovely naivety and ignorance to his ambitious character. His comedic timing adds loads of fun to what should not be regarded as a heavy play.

Helmut Bakaitis comes on with great authority and calmness. This helps to turn the play in another direction. His character is very likeable.

LIBERTY EQUALITY FRATERNITY touches our nerves and funny bones. It is certainly a journey worth taking. The production plays at the Ensemble Theatre until the 9th of March, 2013.

© Bronwyn Fullerton

17th February, 2013

Tags: Sydney Stage Reviews- LIBERTY EQUALITY FRATERNITY, Geoffrey Atherden, Shannon Murphy, Caroline Brazier, Helmut Bakaitis, Andrew Ryan, Sydney Arts Guide, Bronwyn Fullerton

Published by Bronwyn Fullerton

Bronwyn Fullerton worked as an actress and singer for over 20 years after training with Hayes Gordon at The Ensemble Theatre Studios in Sydney in the 70s. She has worked for The Ensemble Theatre, Stables Theatre, Griffin Theatre Company, Sydney Opera House, Sydney Festival, Theatre-in-Education touring, Rocks Theatre at The Sailor’s Home, Balmain Loft, North Coast Theatre Co., Giniby Theatre Co., Bondi Pavilion Theatre and two years with the Marionette Theatre of Australia, including a tour from Alice Springs to Arnhem Land. As well as Film and Television (Chopper Squad) and Voice Overs, Bronwyn worked for the Gate Theatre Club in London and studied mime in Paris. She now teaches ESL English to foreign students and completed a Post-Grad in Film & Video at UTS in 2009/10.