“Absolutely recommended.”
“some kids could feel a lot less isolated if they saw this play“
Veronica Hannon 4 /5 stars
Son of Byblos is the fourth play by James Elazzi produced in Sydney. Byblos is a coastal town north of Beirut, Lebanon, and a gift to world heritage. Set on a sandstone cliff, it has been continuously inhabited for thousands of years. The “son” in the title refers to Adam, a young closeted gay man raised in Western Sydney to Lebanese immigrant parents. Playing on “son of”, it might also extend to Adam’s father, John. Arabic names often reference more than one ancestor, but more importantly, it points to their strained relationship, which is at the heart of this play.
From my first encounter with Elazzi’s writing – Lady Tabouli, at Griffin – I have felt I was walking through a doorway into my growing years in working-class, migrant-rich, suburban Sydney. That these stories were written by someone from that background meant a lot, especially with Elazzi devoted to illuminating and offering a satisfying glimpse into people’s lives. It was a refreshing change from other new Australian work where tired cliches often defined such characters. I met other playgoers in foyers afterwards who felt the same. One woman, after Tabouli, told me she was unbearably moved when the scent of frankincense filled the theatre.
There are similar happy triggers in Byblos. The plastic sheet thrown over the dining table immediately takes you back to your childhood home, and while not visible, I know for sure this family has plastic runners covering the floors in the hallways. Sure, it elicits giggles, but it also speaks of people having fled civil war in their home country with limited means. They have worked hard to get ahead, and they are determined to keep their possessions looking new for as long as possible.
In this clean, homely setting, father and son square off against each other. Adam (Mansoor Noor), desperately hiding his sexual nature, feels he will never live up to John’s (Simon Elrahi) expectations. The chasm between them seems fixed. Both actors beautifully navigate the relationship as Elazzi has committed it to the page. To his father’s chagrin, Adam does not appear grateful for the opportunities growing up in a wealthy country has afforded him. Adam will also happily work stacking fruit and not feel he must be deferential, unlike his father, to the higher status of his peers making serious money.
This paragraph I will dedicate to the women. They are potent influences on the lives of these two men. The incomparable Deborah Galanos plays Carol, wife and mother to John and Adam. It is a lovely, calibrated performance that fits snugly between their conflict but then has a life of its own – in this case, with her seeking an existence out of the kitchen and beyond the home. Claire (Kate Bookallil) is spot on as Adam’s ally and cousin. They share the same-sex attraction and the same sense of humour, but her engagement to a man from the old country casts him adrift. Adam then moves to an old flame, Angela (Violette Ayad). I do not want to give away any spoilers, but you just know this wise woman will see through his bullshit. And where does that leave Adam? By being true to himself, he must betray everyone close to him.
The Byblos team should be congratulated on creating this piece on a startingly small budget. Director Anna Jahjah seems the perfect choice for this production. I suspect she knows this world like the back of her hand and understands Elazzi is not stacking the deck. That means all the pieces move precisely as they should. The design team, led by Olivia Auday (production designer), does a great job with the tight space.
This is personal, but my +1 on this occasion would typically prefer to stick a pin in his eye than sit through 75 minutes of theatre. The fact he was leaning forward for the entire running time is the best thumbs up I can give this show. He saw his life on stage. As we walked towards Fatimas on Cleveland Street for a post-show falafel roll, he acknowledged some kids could feel a lot less isolated if they saw this play.
Absolutely recommended.
Veronica Hannon, Theatre Now
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