By Adam Fawcett
Every Lovely Terrible Thing
A play to see and remember as part of the Australian canon. – What Did She Think?
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Step inside the tumultuous world of the Colemans as they prepare to take on their greatest adversary yet: themselves.
Widowed matriarch Jerica yearns to sell the decaying family home and break free from her past. Her conservative son Charles seeks to reinvent himself as a modern publican and councillor, while his wife Phoebe doesn’t know what she wants – except that it’s probably not Charles. Meanwhile, underneath all their noses, reclusive grandchild Cooper forges an unlikely connection with Lachie, the enigmatic tradie tasked with repairing Jerica’s house.
Things are finally looking up for the Colemans until Jerica’s estranged, prickly daughter Brit returns home guarding a secret so big it threatens to blow up the entire family.
A universal tale of love, courage and intergenerational trauma, this darkly comedic new Australian play boldly examines why families stay together – and what happens when they can’t.
Co-presented with Theatre Works and supported by the City of Port Phillip Cultural Development Fund, Creative Victoria and Australian Plays Transform.
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“It has been a long time since I have seen an original Australian play with a really classic feel and timbre. I mean the kind of play which resonates with the depth of plays like Summer of The Seventeenth Doll or The One Day of The Year for example. Every Lovely Terrible Thing… sits, rather surprisingly, in that wheelhouse. [It is] a great piece of text-based theatre written with confidence and depth. The production elements and performances are excellent. A play to see and remember as part of the Australian canon.” –
“A terrific ensemble that plays off each other with tremendous realism. Wonderful moments of zaniness.” –
“Excels in the campy juxtaposition of humour and horror.” – Limelight Magazine
“Endlessly surprising and enigmatic. This two-hour dramedy breaks new ground by finding camp in an unlikely place: childhood trauma.” – Australian Arts Review
“A striking exploration of trauma and grief.” – My Melbourne Arts
“An explosion of the unexpected.” – Weekend Notes
Finalist: 2021 Midsumma Gasworks Playtime Award for New Queer Writing
Date: 29 February to 16 March 2024
Venue: Theatre Works – St Kilda VIC
Performances: 16