The Gift
written by Joanna Murray-Smith
directed by Chris Hamley
Performed at the Peacock Theatre, Salamanca Arts Centre, Hobart | 26 May - 3 June 2023
Performed by Andrew Casey, Chris Jackson, Tia Landeg, Clare Pearson
Design & Stage/Production Management by Katharine Hamley
Costume & Props Coordination by Tamryn Long
Set Construction by Andrew Cooper
Lighting Design by Jason James
Sound Design by Matt Harris
Photography by Wayne Wagg
Videography by Andrew Hawkey
An unlikely friendship, a generational battle and an ingenuously crafted twist that challenges moralistic values and social integrities.
Self-made millionaires, comfortably middle-aged Ed and Sadie meet Martin and Chloe – he a struggling conceptual artist and she a wannabe writer – on a thousand-dollar-a-night resort in the tropics and instantly hit it off.
Effervescent conversations are lined with pure envy:
money and security vs. youth and vibrancy.
These self-obsessed characters expose the tedium of a life of consumerism, the narcissism of contemporary values, the emptiness of the commodification of art, the guilt that seems hard-wired into middle-class parenting, and the poisonous nature of nostalgia.
Wrapped in Joanna Murray-Smith's glinting dialogue, The Gift is a witty examination of our modern moral confusions.
This play has a secret. A preposterous gift.
A life-changing proposition.
Would you accept?
“Congratulations to the team at Hamley Productions for their production of The Gift. I did NOT expect that. A lot of big conversations were had on the way home motivated by the script. Catch it next week before they close!”
Lisa
“A wonderful ensemble piece presented by a cast of strong performers, I was particularly enamoured with Clare Pearson, whose beautiful portrayal of Sadie was considered, warm and natural. Thank you Hamley Productions for continuing to make live theatre!”
Alison
“A very entertaining piece. Very fast-paced and compact, and beautifully performed by these four highly talented actors. The emotion is raw, and as an audience member you get all of it.”
Jeff
“I highly recommend going to see this show – it was fantastic. The performances were superb and the cast will have you feeling the full range of your emotions alongside them. Great work Chris Hamley and the whole team!”
Holly
“My drama students and I had a really good time at your show. Congratulations to all the cast and crew; we could see the hard work everyone put in to bring the work to life. It was a really worthwhile experience for the students. They were really keen to talk about the show in this week's class and it provoked a good critical discussion. Looking forward to future productions.”
Glenn
“I saw 'The Gift' last Friday night and would unconditionally commend it to audiences. The acting is convincing, and the script is very clever, with subtle and sharp observations interweaved with the Big Questions of Life; why are we here? what's the point?”
Joe
