There’s plenty of beautiful prelude when you take your seat for Cyrano De Bergerac. Between an audience taking their seats in traverse sits Ashley Reid’s wonderfully brutal set design, thrusting out all grey and grates. In the middle sits a microphone in its stand, lit by a single spotlight.
There’s a lovely weight to the anticipation that pays off gloriously in the other design elements. Tim Bonser’s lighting design asserts itself from the moment light shines up through the grating, to two sparse beams holding Roxanne’s face in the darkness, the calamity of war and its aftermath.
Sebastian Herrera’s sound design weaves itself superbly with these other elements, from compelling musical refrains to the silence/space for amplified voices on that microphone.
To be sure, no one brandishes that microphone better than Cyrano. A soldier and a poet, Cyrano is fiercely loyal to his friends and comrades. That ferocity is perhaps only matched by his insecurity over his looks. Roxanne, the love of Cyrano’s life, finds Christian – a new recruit under Cyrano – quite fetching.
Yet, instead of telling Roxanne how he feels, Cyrano helps Christian woo Roxanne. As time progresses, that help begins to trap both men, until war arrives and any remaining poetry gets destroyed by that terrible machine.
Cazz Bainbridge does fantastic work as Roxanne. Life in the 1600s isn’t easy, especially for a woman, and Cazz gives a terrific performance of someone invigorated by wit, as romantic as Cyrano, yet remaining conscious of certain pragmatic concerns if she is to survive. Her final scene with Cyrano, as so much of what’s gone before falls away, was heartbreaking and exquisite to watch.
Leila is as passionate about fine poetry as she is about fine pastry. Whether it’s leading a writing workshop or her loyalty to her friends, Annabelle Tudor wields Leila’s passion beautifully throughout. It’s a wonderful, robust performance – especially in the contrast it then offers when we see Leila at the end, now grounded and matter-of-fact.
Callum O’Malley was suitably charming in his turn as Cyrano’s new best friend, Christian. While there is deceit at the core of the plan he undertakes with Cyrano, Christian is misguided rather than malevolent.
Callum gives an excellent performance of a man not used to courting a woman of the calibre of Roxanne – certainly not when that attraction is returned. When Christian confronts Cyrano over Cyrano’s true feelings for Roxanne, it’s clear a good portion of Christian’s anger is projection, which was portrayed in splendid fashion by Callum.
While you can argue in some ways Cyrano is his own worst enemy, the character of De Guiche is the closest he has to a nemesis, played brilliantly by Louis Lucente. De Guiche may not have a way with words, but he does have authority that he looks to exert in horrendous ways. However, for all of De Guiche’s wickedness, there’s also humour and vulnerability, all performed well by Louis.
Mark Yeates was stunning in the role of Cyrano. One of the strongest qualities of his performance was its precision: the clarity in his voice on and off the mic (especially on), the strength and confidence when Cyrano’s wit and inventiveness was on display, Cyrano’s insecurity and pain whenever that boisterous mask fell away.
We recognise early on that Cyrano’s story will not have a happy – or even hopeful – ending, and it’s impossible to take your eyes off Mark and his stellar performance navigating each of Cyrano’s inexorably tragic steps.
There are few absolutes, but the fact is Artefact Theatre has produced magnificent theatre since 2016 and Cyrano De Bergerac is their best work yet. Sophisticated, funny, thrilling – you won’t regret the steps down to fortyfivedownstairs for this one.
Cyrano de Bergerac
fortyfivedownstairs, 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
Performance: Friday 13 February 2026
Season continues to 28 February 2026
Bookings: www.fortyfivedownstairs.com
For more information, visit: www.artefacttheatre.com for details.
Images: Mark Yeates as Cyrano – photo by Matthew Chen | Mark Yeates as Cyrano and Callum O’Malley as Christian – photo by Matthew Chen
Review: June Collins