Stories that invite us to peep through windows and look through the dirty laundry of others are inherently uncomfortable. Playwright Nina Raine runs full pelt at this discomfort in Consent, forcing us to confront our own moral qualms and inbuilt biases through complex, flawed characters, ambiguous outcomes and a surprising number of laughs. It might take you a minute to detangle the Scandal-esque storylines, but you won’t be able to stop talking about it!

London-based friends Ed and Tim, long-time criminal lawyers desensitised to the pain and trauma they’ve seen in their careers, take opposing briefs in a sexual assault case of a young, unnamed assault Survivor. The fallout from the case seeps into their personal lives and their relationships begin to unravel as issues of consent raised in the case resonate with their partners and friends, and each must consider how they bring their whole selves into each facet of their lives.

Consent revolves around the #metoo movement but also explores the use of language, privilege and impartiality to persuade and manipulate, or coerce consent. We see this depicted in the emotionless way sexual assault is handled within the legal system and its effect on the Survivor, Ed’s (Nic English) marriage, and on fellow lawyers Jake (Outhouse Theatre Co co-founder Jeremy Waters) and Rachel’s (Jennifer Rani), relationship with each other and with their friends.

The show’s critique of the legal system felt a little dated, purely because Australia has come a long way in our understanding of sexual assault since Raine wrote the show in 2017, but it still landed the necessary punches. Director Craig Baldwin uses silence to build tension and make audience feel as the characters do as they become people they never thought they could. Baldwin and set designer Soham Apte further emphasise through some funky mechanical tricks the impossibility of fully separating our work, relationships and lived experiences from our emotions by creating a mirroring effect between story catalysts Kitty (Anna Samson), the wife of ultra-rational barrister Ed, and the unnamed sexual assault Survivor (Jessica Bell).

Bell and Samson are outstanding leading ladies. Bell’s portrayal of how survivors, particularly those of lower socioeconomic means, experience re-traumatisation at the hands of the legal institutions meant to protect them is impressive; as Kitty Samson gives a subtly powerful performance, her increasing repulsion at Ed’s cheating and jokes about ‘raping’ people on the stand a slow burn until it explodes. English’s portrayal of Nic is infuriatingly convincing, and Waters as Jake brings just the right mix of insensitivity, honestly and levity to play his somewhat redeemable dickhead of a character.

Entertaining and informative, Consent is both a compelling story and a prompt to a cheeky bit of self-reflection on how our lived experiences present themselves to those we hold most dear.

Purchase your ticket to Consent here.

GSM – Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre | Wine Pairing

GSMs are such a delicious blend of red wine varietals, bringing their own unique flavours together to create different combinations of bright red fruits, savoury earthiness, acidity and texture. While there’s a lot going on, combining the three typically means that no one flavour becomes overwhelming which is why it pairs well with Consent’s many intermingled storylines.

Consent, Outhouse Theatre Co | Tasting Notes

Aussie Season	1 to 24 June 2023, Seymour Centre Sydney. Produced by Outhouse Theatre Co
Ticket $	$35-49
Writer	Nina Raine
Director	Craig Baldwin
Theatre Type & Genre	Play, Drama
See it if you like	Scandal, Suits
Wine Pairing	GSM
Criteria for Wine Pairing	complex flavours, high alcohol