The State Theatre Company’s recent staging of Things I Know To Be True, is both a moving and beautifully crafted piece that succinctly captures the dilemmas present in contemporary Australian life. Set against the backdrop of the southern suburbs of Adelaide, the Price Family’s children face a series of tough choices at the turn of each new season. Co-directors, Geordie Bookman and Scott Graham produce an intimate family drama that explores the themes of familial love, change and paternal expectations through physical theatre, staging and music, to create a piece that has the ability to make its audience laugh and cry at the same time.
Scott Graham’s artistic direction, focusing on characterisation through physical theatre, effectively explores…show more content… The set that Cobham constructs is relatively bare in nature with obvious Brechtian influences, including basic lighting and props to create multiple locations. The purpose of this style is to continually remind the audience of its role as a viewer and places a greater focus on the key themes and ideas of the play. The garden, where most of the action occurs, acts as a metaphor and anchor point for dreams and fond memories of childhood, and provides solitude for each member of the family. An image of a large tree projected onto the cyclorama represents the idea of the constant in the family. The tree is used as a symbol where its roots, like the family home, come to represent stability for the children, even during times of trouble and upheaval. The family members quite literally construct the set and garden with each passing of season, linking to the concept of change demonstrated through each child’s crisis as the garden grows in its complexity. The struggle of change is most obviously associated with patriarch, Bob, who is attempting to redirect his life, which previously has been centred on his children, and this is explored further through the growing of his beloved rose bushes. For him, they offer the only form which he can still exercise control over, like he once ‘watered and cared’ for his children. In contrast, Fran’s…show more content… The song comes to represent the eldest daughter, Pip’s difficulty in living up to her mother’s ideals and differing views on motherhood. This is best explored in Pip’s letter to her mother from Vancouver, presented in the form of a monologue, when she recites the lyrics to reveal her decision to leave her family and have an affair,
‘Thanks for taking the trouble from her eyes. Do you remember that line from the song? That is what this man has done for me. And I’m wondering if there was someone who could have done it for you, if you let
