Witty, subtle and completely engrossing, Benefactors is the story of the tenuous foundations of our homes, our cities and our hearts.

Idealistic architect David and his pragmatic anthropologist wife Jane have a lovely, well-maintained life in the ‘burbs of London in the 1960s. Their neighbours, curmudgeonly reporter Colin and nervous Sheila, are struggling, and Sheila is overly dependent on David and Jane for friendship and support. Inseparable as the two couples are, David’s dream architectural project redeveloping an inner-city housing project on Basutho Road will expose and threaten the fragile foundations both of the couples’ friendship, and within each respective marriage.

Michael Frayn is one of England’s prolific playwrights, mostly known for his more farcical works. In Benefactors, he has applied this eye for comedy to the suburbs and a little political commentary, resulting in this subtle, brilliantly engaging play.

Frayn takes a basic suburban scene and mirrors it with larger, more philosophical and political musings through David’s architectural pursuits. Director Mark Kilmurry has preserved the parallel storylines and highlights the distinct connections between the two in cast movements and dialogue delivery, and through set and lighting design by Nick Fry and Max Cox respectively. The kitchen setting, a traditional gathering place, and muted yellow lighting, create a warm and welcoming environment of domestic bliss. Conversely the street name of Basutho Road, an African-inspired name, highlights England’s dark colonial history and sets up this story of a utopian housing redevelopment to be problematic from the get-go.

Opening with a few wry remarks by Jane about her neighbours, soliloquy-style narration is delivered in each Act by the characters you would perceive as the secondary person in each marriage at that time. Being set in the 60s the women naturally narrate Act 1, as they support their husbands in their pursuits. As Jane and Sheila begin to act more of their own accord, the task of storytelling shifts to the men in Act 2. It’s again subtle, but it has a huge impact on the way you perceive the story and each of the characters’ experiences and perspectives.

The four-hander cast has a big job, delivering a huge amount of dialogue with nothing else to distract from a misstep or to change the pace, and each one delivers a captivating performance. David (Gareth Davies) is overly idealistic as he runs headlong at his dream project, unable to see when it becomes something he cannot recognise. Jane (Emma Palmer) is a woman with gumption, to use 60s lingo! She’s a good person not by a moral calling but because it just makes sense, resulting in her practical smarts sometimes being perceived as ruthlessness. She’s affable but brusque, the type of neighbour that always has sugar to lend you and a pot of coffee on but who’ll roll her eyes at you after you leave.

Sheila (Megan Drury) is a sympathetic character, completely downtrodden by her own husband and in love with David and Jane, their marriage her solid ground. She becomes increasingly unbearable as her co-dependency seeps into every part of their lives, a testament to Drury’s acting chops. Colin (Matt Minto) has the least to work with in terms of how he’s scripted but is certainly successful in painting himself as the villain; even when he has the moral high ground, you can tell it’s not for the right reasons.

Turning the day to day lives of suburban sposes into witty, introspective, genuinely entertaining theatre, Benefactors might be my unexpected gem of 2023.

Purchase your ticket to Benefactors here.

Chenin Blanc | Wine Pairing

A versatile varietal, Chenin Blanc can be very dry or quite sweet. Like Jane and David, Sheila and Colin, it all depends on its environment and experiences to transform it into its final form.

Benefactors, Ensemble Theatre | Tasting Notes

Aussie Season	16 June to 22 July 2023, Ensemble Theatre
Ticket $	$43-80
Writer	Michael Frayn
Director	Mark Kilmurry
Theatre Type & Genre	Play, dramedy
See it if you like	witty banter
Wine Pairing	Chenin Blanc
Criteria for Wine Pairing	tropical fruits, textural and/or acidic, versatile