Friday 17 December 2010

An unexpected adventure ...


On Thursday night, I headed to the Sydney Theatre Company to see True West, directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman and starring Brendan Cowell.  It was a play with a bit of everything - a lot of dark humour, sadness and quirkiness.  The opening scene began with a long, increasingly uncomfortable silence.  Both the actors were very convincing in their roles as brothers with a troubled relationship, but I had a hard time believing they were in western America.  The scene changes were very unique.  As each change began, a short burst of loud, rough music was played and the stage was bathed in a harsh fluorescent light.  Backstage people came on stage to make the changes that the actors were also involved in at the same time as continuing to act.  But it wasn't the play where I found the unexpected adventure ... 

Pier 1 at Walsh Bay ... home of the Sydney Theatre Company's Wharf 1 theatre

The surprise came as I was making my way from Circular Quay, across the Rocks to Walsh Bay.  I had plenty of time, so I found myself wandering through the touristy part of the Rocks and over the back towards the non-touristy area.  I wished I had my camera as I passed some beautiful old buildings and the views ... wow!  The building that houses the Sydney Theatre Company has been beautifully renovated and is quite an amazing place.  I enjoyed looking at the huge black and white photos of previous plays held in the building.  The evening totally surprised me and I can't wait to head back to the area to do some more exploring.

The view from the bar

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