Sydney Theatre Company and Colonial First State Global Asset Management presentSPEED-THE-PLOWBy David Mamet
Making art is a ruthless business
David Mamet’s extraordinary writing brings the luminous Rose Byrne back to the Australian stage. Mamet writes dialogue so distinct – fast, funny, exacting, inspired – that it is a genre unto itself. From Glengarry Glen Ross to Oleanna, he has given morally questionable characters the linguistic dexterity to enthral us, offend us and hoodwink us all at the same time.
In Speed-the-Plow, Mamet’s attention is squarely on a world he knows all too well – show business. Studio executives Bobby Gould and Charlie Fox came up together in Hollywood’s dog-eat-dog world. Today, Bobby is one step ahead and has the authority to green light a project of his choosing. Just this morning, Charlie has landed a surefire blockbuster with a star attached. With millions of dollars on the line, every move is a gamble.
The wildcard in this deck is a temporary secretary called Karen, an outsider with ideas of her own.
Joining Byrne onstage is Lachy Hulme (Channel Ten’s Offspring) with our very own Andrew Upton to direct. Together, they will bring Mamet’s Faustian dilemma thrillingly to life.