Playwright David Williamson has for some years now found a home at the Ensemble Theatre, one that has become a safe place for staging his stories that often take place within the home.
Except in Williamson’s world this is not usually a safe haven, but a place where conflict, trauma and the drama of social competitiveness play out, often to the loss of those who seek refugee there.
This is the case in his new six-hander, The Social Ladder, where the participants are not what they seem to be; only this time played for maximin laughs.
The Social Ladder opens with Katie Norrie (Mandy Bishop) persuading husband Roger (Johnny Nasser) that they need to rent an expensive Boyd painting to impress her new besties, the ultra-wealthy Catherine (Sarah Chadwick) and husband Charles Mallory (Andrew McFarlane) so that she can climb the social tree and land a role on a prestigious board.
The Mallory’s are also on the lookout for any way to make an extra buck, despite their roles in the community.
Also invited to this soiree, which has Sydney’s chef du jour catering, are former neighbours Laura (Jo Downing) and Ben Gregory (Matt Minto), with whom the Norrie’s have not spoken to for years.
Their entrée to this event is due to the fact that Ben directed Katie’s favourite film, of which she continually gets the title of wrong.
What can go wrong here does, and Williamson does not hold back on extracting humour out of the fact that everyone present has a back story different from their public personas.
The clashes, when they come, are not unexpected. Nor is the ending, as class conflict and unbridled ambitions play out without resolution as Williamson plays the characters for laughs and not opprobrium.
While we condemn social climbing as a parlour sport, there are no great revelations in the script except the obvious class divides in the characters. Williamson’s crisp writing keeps us out of that territory.
Director Janine Watson has handled this ensemble cast admirably, keeping the laughs going and away from any closer examination of the script, which is not there. Watson and the cast show impeccable timing, keeping the pace fast and tight.
With the exception of Mandy Bishop’s role of Katie, the working class girl from the burbs, there a few opportunities for the other cast members to become introspective, but their skill in realising their characters against limited writing manages to steer the script clear of clichéd portrayals.
The set by Veronique Bennett gives us a middle-class lounge room with upwardly mobile affectations like chandeliers and the off-stage art gallery, which soon becomes awash in the remains of cheap wine and fast food.
Lighting design from Matt Cox matches the set and the many changes of tension between cast members. As composer and sound designer Clare Hennessy’s work compliments the scene admirably starting with a jazz score and later underscoring the rather messy ending.
A Williamson play is always anticipated and will always divide the critics, but this is a role he has become used to it, and thank god, because with The Social Ladder he has given us a great night packed with laughs.
The Social Ladder
Ensemble Theatre, 78 McDougall Street, Kirribilli
Performance: Wednesday 28 January 2026
Season continues to 14 March 2026
Information and Bookings: www.ensemble.com.au
Images: Andrew McFarlane, Matt Minto, Sarah Chadwick, Johnny Nasser, Mandy Bishop and Jo Downing in The Social Ladder – photo by Phil Erbacher | Mandy Bishop, Jo Downing, Matt Minto, Johnny Nasser and Andrew McFarlane – photo by Phil Erbacher | Matt Minto, Mandy Bishop and Sarah Chadwick – photo by Phil Erbacher
Review: John Moyle