David Kary

The Way Things Work

Nicholas Papademetriou and Ashley Lyons in Aidan Fennessy's THE WAY THINGS WORK. Pic Zak Kaczmarek
Nicholas Papademetriou and Ashley Lyons in Aidan Fennessy’s THE WAY THINGS WORK. Pic Zak Kaczmarek

With one great shot of a furious Nicholas Papademteriou as the Minister, a copy of the national paper in his hand and with his senior public servant concernedly looking on, photographer Zak Kacmarek tells us the story to Aussie playwright Aidan Fennessy’s THE WAY THINGS WORK.

Fennessy takes us deeply into the world of incompetence, criminal activity and corruption in the public sector which through a public enquiry have come out in the open, causing the usual furore.

All is far from kosher re the State Government and the Minister’s involvement in the East-West tunnel project. Standard stuff that we are used to- protocols not being followed, cheap materials..the list goes on.

The play  is divided into three  big scenes. In the first scene the  playwright takes us right into the action as the Minister tries to cajole his leading public servant into giving false evidence when he is called into the witness box.

We shift locations and characters in the second scene with Fennessy taking us into the underworld  and two brothers involved in the dirty business.

Surprise, surprise, the final scene we are swiftly taken to a jail scene!

With his production of THE WAY THINGS WORK Leland Kean bids farewell to Rock Surfers after close to eight years as the Company’s Artistic Director.

Kean has signed out on a good note. This is an impressive production of Fennessy’s play  which was the inaugural  winner of the Rock Surfers/CJZ Playwriting Commission.

Kean has only one set for the piece- one of the best I have seen at the Pav- the Minister’s office, that is tweaked a bit later by the creative team to incorporate the other locations.

Nicholas Papademetriou and Ashley Lyons give strong performances in their various guises. They are supported by a good creative band- Luiz Pampolha on lighting, Jeremy Silver on sound, and Jade Alex on costumes.

 A Rock Surfers Theatre Company production directed by Leland Kean , Aidan Fennessy’s THE WAY THINGS WORK opened at the Bondi Pavilion Theatre, Queen Elizabeth Drive, Bondi Beach on Tuesday 11th November and is playing until Saturday  29th November. Performances Tuesdays to Saturdays at 8pm.