King of Pigs , at the Old Fitzroy Theatre is a world premiere. The playwright, Steve Rogers, is a multi award winning playwright and he utilises his tremendous skill in creating a play which is compelling, entertaining and very very important.

The theme is domestic violence and the many ways in which men excuse themselves for behaving violently and creating generational  violence.  The play comprises a series of scenes which create several different stories simultaneously. This is performed so ably and directed so exquisitely that it has perfect flow.  Seamless.

The female roles are played by Ella Scott- Lynch. She is a very well known actress, NIDA trained, who has worked across all genres of performance. She is brilliant, she really is every woman. The male cast member are all excellent and beautifully cast. Mick Bani as the ‘could have been’ rugby player makes his stage debut, and the director should be particularly commended for this casting. As the son, Thom Blake, just eleven years of age, is also a treat to watch- I have seen him previously in Sport for Jove productions. He alternates with Wylie Best and I will be seeing this production again so will catch the other youngster’s performance.

The biggest praise must be reserved for the director Blazey Best. There is no theatre award that she has not won, and she really is a gift to the Australian stage. This is her directorial debut, and it is difficult to believe because the direction is so good. The play’s strength lies in the tight line she draws between excessive sentiment and inadequate emotion to depict very confronting material. This piece is a winner on every level, and I predict it will be multi award winning when this years plays are judged.

There are only a few tickets left for most of the sessions- and the Fitz has a habit of selling out- so book immediately.