Review: Truth; from a liars lips

When this modest theatre production started, I felt quite removed from the setting; a medieval castle, within which a new queen has just taken charge and struggles with oblique political speech.

It was a testament to the performances and the story that when I emerged blinking 2 hours later, I had to re-adjust to the Brisbane setting and look at my watch in disbelief! It was a tragic story told so well, that it left me wondering if this was based on a historical monarch. It definitely left me wishing I could go to the ‘imdb’ page of the show to find out some backstory!

On the boards Theatre Company’s space in Tingalpa was well set-up and the foyer and bar served the audience well for pre- and post-show discussions.

The stage was set with a dining table, and it was used excellently for the backdrop for every scene. Our protagonist, Queen Evelyn, grows into her office, initially idealistic, and then more and more jaded (or perhaps she believes she’s ‘winning’), to the point where she doesn’t recognise sincere speech. Her inner life is portrayed in heartfelt monologues that, despite the slightly bookish language, felt relevant to journeys into leadership today. Her friends and colleagues (all great performances) utilise her position for their own ends, and the central tragedy unfolds to be her recognition too late of who her real friends were.

I think different audience members will get very different meanings out of this piece of art. I once participated in a research study that a friend was involved in, about psychological trust in our communities, and I emerged as an extreme outlier – I am very trusting. Due to this and other personality and background factors, my understanding of the play is the way I have described above. It is a rich text, however, and I’d love to hear how others experienced the show. It’s one that will keep us ruminating on it for several days, I would think.