“A coherent and thoughtful production from Sved and her team.””
Veronica Hannon
[ 3.5] Stars
Venue: Old Fitz
Sydney
Dates: Until August 10th
A friend recently reminded me that I had suggested he see Betrayal on a work trip to New York a little over a decade ago. The production, a glamorous offering starring the then-James Bond, Daniel Craig, and his real-life partner, Rachel Weisz, he declared a painful watch. He left, miserable, and standing outside the Barrymore theatre, decided I was a sadist. At some point, he came around because he’s still speaking to me.
The play by Harold Pinter, from 1978, is beautifully written, but it feels of its time. It concerns a very middle-class love triangle between a woman, her husband and his best friend. Pinter famously starts at the end of the affair, and we backtrack in time to the first forbidden kiss. His characters are all a little bit cruel and manipulative, more than a bit dishonest, and the men, at least, are comfortable talking between themselves about bashing women if the occasion arises. It is to the credit of the performances and director Christabel Sved that the woman comes across as more than just an object used by the men.
Melanie Liertz‘s set is quite stark. The simple design consists of a neutral- coloured carpet and a couple of blonde wood chairs against a backdrop of beige vertical blinds. The blinds are deftly manipulated between scenes by a fourth actor, Diego Retamales. The performers are always physically present, and by eliminating scenic detail, the focus is on the acting.
Andrew Cutcliffe as Robert is the ideal image of a polished, elegant man who is also a dangerous predator. He systematically cuts down his adulterous wife and best friend while being unfaithful himself. Ella Scott Lynch convinces us that she is genuinely torn between two men, tenderly loving them both equally. She also manages to convey a toughness beneath the composed exterior. Matt Hardie is engaging as Jerry, and it soon becomes clear why Emma has fallen for his jittery charm. The pivotal scene in the Venetian hotel room is a highlight – it is both exquisitely written and acted.
Speaking of the “Floating City”, at one point, I was thinking of how an audience member struggling to make the rent in Sydney could sympathise with the trio, one of whom goes on about purchasing a tablecloth in Venice for their “tryst site”, which they will eventually never use. That said, it is a coherent and thoughtful production from Sved and her team.
photography Kate Williams.
Veronica Hannon, Theatre Now
