With the world rapidly heading into a great unknown, there is no better time for The Beautiful Future is Coming to take to the stage and engage audiences to think about the changing and challenging world around them.
Three women, three stories, all rolled into one as time and space melt away and the fears of an unknown future linger in the air. As each woman faces the oppression of a world not built for them, dreams and vision hover at the edges of their mind as their fate is gripped by forces outside of their control.
Flora Wilson Brown’s writing is exquisitely poetic – weaving each world together in a seamless thread of familiar but equally unique stories. Though the subject matter feels familiar, the way in which the text dives deeper into the lives and obstacles faced by the characters, gives the text a richer and more connected feel than a mere surface narrative.
Kim Hardwick perfectly directs the work to suit such a small space – utilising each inch of space to be filled with action, nuance and purpose. The multi-layered text is handled with precise pace and intimate detail, making the swirling narrative not only palatable but engulfing.
Unfortunately the ensemble of Liminka Pather, Lily Rawson, Tierney Clarke, Cameron Steven, Reid Perry, and Daniel Francis-Swaby seem at odds with the direction and script, choosing character choices that not only keep the audience at arms length but create very little dynamic moments between each other. Dialogue is often simply delivered emotionless and one note, with the performers never really owning the stage and holding a strong presence.
Topaz Marlay-Cole’s lighting design helps to shift the action through time and place while creating the emotional depth often lacking on stage and Otto Zagala’s soundscape evokes images of a world on the brink of unending change.
Sadly this season of The Beautiful Future is Coming is far too short, but given the importance of the work and subject matter, there will hopefully be enough interest to warrant a return season
The Beautiful Future is Coming
Old Fitz Theatre, 129 Dowling Street, Woolloomooloo (Sydney)
Season continues to 22 May 2026
Information and Bookings: www.oldfitztheatre.com.au
Image: The Beautiful Future is Coming – photo by Ryan Nichols
Review: Gavin Roach