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. A great piece of text-based theatre written with confidence and depth. A play to see and remember as part of the Australian canon.
Every Lovely Terrible Thing is an ambitious exploration of the costs of keeping secrets and the price we pay to tell them. The world that Fawcett conjures feels expansive and full of depth, and it’s enjoyable to watch each of the character's truths tumble into the light during the two hour show. There’s a satisfying symmetry in the subplots that almost feels like When the Rain Stops Falling by Andrew Bovell. Despite the traumatic events at the heart of the play, Fawcett’s writing has a deep empathy and care which helps navigate and guide us into the world of the Colemans. Luscious design combined with an excitingly expansive text provides a map of lives fraying on the fringe.
Fawcett’s endlessly surprising and enigmatic Every Lovely Terrible Thing is queer and stylised; it loves spectacle and reveres aesthetic (it has a human-sized Easter Bunny and a lip sync at a funeral, after all). But this two-hour dramedy breaks new ground by finding camp in an unlikely place: childhood trauma.
Every Lovely Terrible Thing is a testament to Fawcett’s vision. Their penchant for exploring queerness and trauma with a blend of domesticity and humour, promises work that is deeply passionate and deeply personal.
Fawcett‘s story brings many laughs and sadness but it also serves as a hopeful reminder that you can still be scared and do things to make life better. The dialogue is sharp and snappy and Fawcett imbues individual humour and perspectives for each of their characters, which serves as a great outlet for the audience to release the tension that builds throughout the production.
Fawcett’s exquisite writing is undoubtedly the highlight of this production. His clever combination of romance, comedy and drama has given director Lyall Brooks and actors Chris Asimos and Henry Strand the room to explore and create a piece of theatre that is exceedingly important for audiences to witness. It cannot be stressed enough how important a story like this is. Classy, sharp and deeply moving, Become The One makes for a special experience. A huge congratulations to all involved.
Become The One is Adam Fawcett’s first play and tackles huge themes such as toxic masculinity, identity, and queer romance, as well as questioning the culture of the much-loved AFL, all with a noticeable grace. His writing is brave and driven by fast, personal dialogue. It doesn’t let you off the hook; you’re suspended in the tension, along with the characters. We need more of this on our stages.
A slow-burn love story that is absorbing, touching and credible - but never sentimental. Fawcett’s text is spikey and smart, opening up all the issues that stand between these lovers, without being preachy. Sensitivity and intelligence are woven all through it.