Bold doesn’t even begin to describe Commentary, the new play written by Ash Flanders: an acerbic flaying of public and private personas.

Middle-aged film academic and former film maker Nick Atkinson (Gyton Grantley) is preparing the director’s commentary for a retrospective screening of his one film, Low, in the city’s film festival.

Made in his youth with his creative partner, Hamish (spoken of, but never seen), the once much-lauded film stars Saskia (Kate Cheel) playing a 14-year-old girl who is pursued by an older male, played by Hamish. But the real-life predatory behaviour of Hamish towards another young woman means the film goes from new classic to non-grata, and Nick’s film career is over.

Flanders’ delicious writing gives us characters turned inside out to show the gory visceral underside of human behaviour when confronted with their own lies and failings. It exposes the changing morality of what is accepted in “getting the shot” or creating art, alongside what is accepted in male behaviour in relationships.

A sure directorial hand

Petra Kalive directs a dream cast in this enjoyable and mercilessly sharp drama – part satire, part stark realism, with an excellent eye for revealing the duality and public vs private personas of each character and situation.

Mediated........

© The Conversation