Martin Crimp leans heavily into his usual brand of overly intelligent writing with Dealing With Clair, but thankfully this production manages to create something remarkably watchable from an otherwise dire script.
Clair just wants to sell this house and Mike and Liz are asking too much – too much of the house and too much of Clair. But she is doing her best, it’s all she can do. Even when faced with an unhinged prospective buyer, Clair does all she can to keep her head above water.
Martin Crimp’s text is truly at its most insufferable – riddled with cliches, easily connected plot points and a twist seen coming a mile away. Crimp has a way of structuring a work like it is the most astonishing glimpse into “real life” but in truth, this work is little more than hot air used to inflate an already large ego.
Harry Reid’s directing is a masterclass in how to take a mediocre script and turn it into a brilliant production. In Reid’s hands, the text is given a much needed dose of nuance and depth, there is a dramaturgical subtext that feels alive and exciting. The characters and world are more grounded and less abstract for the sake of it.
The ensemble of Arkia Ashraf, Bayley Prendergast, Daniel Fletcher, Jade Fuda, Olivia Hall-Smith and Talia Benatar are all wonderfully talented – each infusing their characters with venom and wonderful whimsy, a delicious blend of nasty and nice that encapsulates a world of distrust. Like Reid’s direction, this cast are deserving of absolute praise for elevating the writing and forming fully realised characters from a very haphazard script.
Soham Apte’s multifaceted set design is utterly genius – hidden details and unique touches that catch the eye and give more weight to the world. Never before has a sliding door been so sinister. Izzy Morrissey’s lighting design is totally sumptuous – rich evocative colours flood the stage and perfectly captures each moment of malevolence and words unsaid.
This production deserves to be seen but only to celebrate the extraordinary talents of the artists who brought the work to the stage. Scene by scene and moment by moment each brings such a high calibre to the work that it is somewhat easy to forget just how subpar the writing truly is.
Dealing With Clair
Old Fitz Theatre, 129 Dowling Street, Woolloomooloo (Sydney)
Season continues to 25 July 2026
Information and Bookings: www.oldfitztheatre.com.au
Image: Dealing With Clair – photo by Robert Miniter
Review: Gavin Roach