Ayeesha Ash as Claudia and Lucy Bell as HonoUr. Photo: Prudence Upton.
First performed in 1995, Honour has become an Australian classic and this version, with a few tweaks to acknowledge Twitter and other forms of social media, is sharp and immediate. The catastrophe at its heart is commonplace. As playwright Joanna Murray-Smith says, the skeleton of the story is universal: a husband, successful in his career, ups and leaves his wife of 32 years for a younger woman, leaving devastation in his wake. What makes Honour so special is Murray-Smith’s taut script, lacerating insights and her ability to give each of her four characters shifting points of view so makes audiences question their various positions and ambitions, and also what is meant by love.
Under Kate Champion’s direction, this production hardly misses a beat. The opening scene endears us to the acclaimed writer/journalist George (Huw Higginson), trying to write his own bio – not an easy thing to do unless one is a complete narcissist – and veering between self-deprecation and accomplishment. Next we meet him with his wife Honour (Lucy Bell) as they marvel at the adulterous folly and indiscretion of their friends. Both are talented writers but, since marrying, Honour has taken a back seat to George’s career. Only when ambitious post-grad journalist and wannabe writer Claudia (Ayeesha Ash) arrives to interview George, does Honour question some of her own decisions. George is a sitting duck for Claudia’s predatory advances and power plays; Honour and daughter Sophie (Poppy Lynch) can only look on in disbelief and anger at their husband’s/father’s decision to forsake a loving marriage for passionate love. It seems to be a foregone conclusion that the two states are incompatible.
Many questions are raised, among which: Does loyalty equate to an absence of self? Is love a reminder of what was once passion? Is security a compensation for desire?
Damien Cooper’s lighting design is subtle and effective, facilitating seemingly effortless changes of mood and conversation. Simone Romanuik’s set is clean and bright, a tad reminiscent of an IKEA show room, in contrast to the dark emotions played out on it. The scene in which George tells Honour he is leaving is exquisitely painful. Bell’s nuanced performance is remarkable here and, indeed, throughout the play.
Another standout scene is the confrontation between father and daughter. ‘You used to go on about moral responsibility,’ young and vulnerable Sophie reminds her dad. No easy way to betray your kids.
Higginson allows us to see and feel the conflicts within his character’s behaviours. Ash’s Claudia – unashamedly selfish at the outset – develops into someone more self-aware as the play progresses.
The cast is well-matched, the whole production engages from start to finish. Murray-Smith pulls off a coup in finding humour in such painful situations. Champion and her crew have made Honour a must-see.
Tickets: $43-$79. www.ensemble.com.au
