20 Sep – 15 Oct 2022

Venue: STC: Roslyn Packer Theatre

Presented by Sydney Theatre Company.

Performance Times
Preview performances 7.30pm

In-season evening performances
Mon & Tue 6.30pm;
Wed – Sat 7.30pm


Matinee performances
Wed 1pm; Sat 1.30pm

Approximate Run Time:
1 hrs 50 Min (no interval)

Ticket Prices
Saturday evening A Reserve $98
Adult A Reserve $93
Seniors cardholder $89
Pensioner/Student $70
Under 30 $51
Preview $51

Finding truth in the post-truth era


By Jeremy Kareken & David Murrell
and Gordon Farrell
Directed by Paige Rattray


In her debut performance with STC, icon of the Australian screen and stage Sigrid Thornton will lead this thrilling, stylish and hyperintelligent hit Broadway comedy that tackles the great question of our time: true or false?

Thornton plays the shrewd, sharp-tongued Emily Penrose, an editor at a prestigious magazine, who assigns what she thinks will be a simple task to Jim, a young intern. Jim, played by Charles Wu (The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui), is thrilled to be given the once-in-a lifetime assignment: the chance to fact check a new essay by a writer he idolises, John D’Agata – played by Gareth Davies (Home, I’m Darling).

But as Jim methodically begins his work, holding each detail up to the light, he discovers that separating fact from fiction is not such an easy job. Together, these three titanic personalities must negotiate their competing goals, egos, and values to reach some semblance of the truth and get the article to print.

For fans of The Newsroom and The West WingThe Lifespan of a Fact is a timely investigation of the old truism “never let the truth get in the way of a good story.” Directed by STC Associate Director Paige Rattray (Triple X, Death of a Salesman), this high-octane production questions how, in our age of fake news and big data, we’ll ever get to a world that’s post-post-truth.

Warnings:
Infrequent strong language, suicide themes. Subject to change.

Set Designer Marg Horwell
Lighting Designer Paul Jackson
Composer & Sound Designer Stefan Gregory
AV Designer Susie Henderson
Assistant Director Tasnim Hossain

With: Gareth Davies, Sigrid Thornton, Charles Wu

Marketing image Rene Vaile