Venue: Ensemble Theatre (Kirribilli NSW), Jul 18 – Aug 23, 2025
Playwright: David Williamson
Director: Mark Kilmurry
Cast: Aisha Aidara, Danielle Carter, Rachel Gordon, Matt Minto, Tom O’Sullivan, Rajan Velu
Images by Phil Erbacher
Theatre review
Reaganomics and Thatcherism were in full force when David Williamson’s Emerald City first emerged—a play in which a screenwriter grapples with his artistic integrity in a world determined to commodify everything. Almost four decades on, the conflict between art and commerce remains and has become so subsumed into our daily realities that watching an artist navigate those old quagmires now seems strangely quaint.
Direction by Mark Kilmurry is thankfully taut and energetic, with leading man Tom O’Sullivan bringing commitment and valuable charisma to the not-always-likable role of Colin. His wife Kate is made a powerful figure by Rachel Gordon’s confidence and panache. Matt Minto is appropriately dubious as the opportunistic Mike, while Aisha Aidara’s portrayal of his partner Helen surprises with warmth and a compelling naturalism.
Production design by Dan Potra depicts the era with some accuracy, but can appear somewhat simplistic in approach. Lights by Morgan Moroney improve the viewing experience by effecting subtle shifts as the production transforms in tone and temperament. Music by Madeleine Picard add a dimension of ephemerality to the way we feel about this straightforward story.
The city of Sydney serves as a fitting backdrop for this reflection on commercialism and its entanglement with human life. Money, undeniably, shapes much of who we are here—as it does in any city—and while we recognise that ‘the love of money is the root of all evil,’ it is equally true that our relative affluence underpins many of the pleasures we associate with life in this frankly magnificent place.
Suzy Goes See 