Let the Sunshine

First published on 3 Apr 2009. Updated on 5 Apr 2011.

Well, that's it. David Williamson is officially out of retirement. His new play, Let the Sunshine, has premiered at the Ensemble Theatre. After four years this is a quiet comeback: a family-based comedy in a small, intimate venue. Not "capital-T theatre" as Williamson admitted in a recent interview, and he was right. Don't expect any risk taking or profound messages. Come for a light-hearted evening of entertainment as a bemused Williamson examines his own generation and how they are faring under economic crises, grandparenthood and the other challenges of baby boomer life.

The play centres around documentary maker Toby (William Zappa) and his wife Ros (Georgie Parker), a left-wing couple trying to hold onto their hippie idealism in Noosa. Their moneyed, politically conservative environment is personified by acquaintances Natasha (Kate Raison) and property developer Ron (Andrew McFarlane). In a somewhat predictable Capulets-and-Montagues twist, the opposing couples are forced together when their oddly matched children - down-and-out muso Rick (Justin Stewart Cotta) and high-powered corporate lawyer Emma (Emma Jackson) - fall in love.

The ensuing two hours provide an amusing look at life, love, politics and parenting. It's a very "now" play, referencing Barack Obama and contemporary living in Sydney and Noosa (nearly half the scenes take place over coffee). There are plenty of incisive one-liners, snappy scenes and hilariously archetypal characters. A minimal set allows the performances to take centre stage - six strong, professional portrayals that can't be faulted. The people's choice award, in our survey of two, goes to McFarlane's Ron, who is gleefully and unapologetically rich, white and middle-class.  

Williamson himself was in attendance, modestly blending in (as much as a seven-foot man can blend in anywhere) with an audience composed almost entirely of his amiably receptive contemporaries. A cynic might point out that an audience of Williamson's contemporaries would be predisposed to amiable reception, but, in all fairness, even polite people will only laugh at what's genuinely funny. Sarah Theeboom