Jun 4

Jun 4 THEATRE: "Things I Know to Be True" is a family drama so real and relatable, it hurts

Things I Know to Be True began on stage in Adelaide and was followed by new localized versions showing in the UK and the US, finally arriving in writer Andrew Bovell’s hometown of Perth at the Heath Ledger State Theater for a short run this June.

Somehow a simultaneously simple and incredibly complex story, Things I Know to Be True is quintessential Australian family drama, and the play carefully ramps up its emotional gravitas from its very first words. The play focuses on a tumultuous year in the lives of the Price family, beginning with the youngest daughter Rosie (Laura Shaw) as she wraps up her ‘find-herself’ tour of Europe and returns to the family home in Booragoon, Western Australia.

We’re immediately thrown into familiar familial territory, with the introduction of Rosie’s three other siblings and parents rushing home to greet her, while immediately beginning the interrogations and continuing on with their busy lives. Things I Know to Be True doesn’t relent with realistic dialogue and situations, and things quickly unravel to reveal the dark stories lurking beneath the family’s safe and solid exterior.

A family drama of all descriptions - love, heartbreak, identity, and parent-child relationships - are all dealt with through the course of the play, and I would find it difficult to imagine anyone not relating to at least one of the smaller subplots presented here. Fran (Caroline Brazier), the mother of Pip, Mark, Ben and Rosie, is at the centre of all of the action: appeasing and scolding her children in equal measure, rushing around, working a full-time job and home-making, all while trying to find her own place in the world too. Brazier’s performance is incredible here, as the powerful, beating heart of the family, while also balancing a loving and intimidating presence with equal measure.

Each character is given their own chance to shine, as the spotlight gives each character a monologue or two to really dive into their psyche and perspectives on the other goings on. The best part of Things I Know to Be True is the interlocking narratives and perspectives between the children and the parents - we see mirrors everywhere between their behaviour throughout the years, and this really drives the drama to a stunning climax. The rotating house and garden set are used by director Kate Champion to great effect, giving the characters privacy, movement and separation in between their shifting dynamics.

Heart-wrenching and hopeful, honestly raw and evocative, Things I Know to Be True is so real it hurts. You can’t miss this.