Sincere Apologies

Imagine a theatrical production where the words are all sourced from dozens of different people, and the performers are all members of the audience?

It sounds like a recipe for a very problematic piece of theatre – but instead it was lyrical and moving.

Entering the Seagull Room of the Bondi Pavilion, around 80 chairs were lined up in a circle around a box containing 50 envelopes. Microphones were spread around the audience.

Numbered from 1 to 50 the envelopes were handed to audience members. It soon dawned on me that we were the only actors on the stage.

Some of the apologies were very amusing. Mine was from management of Kentucky Fried Chicken asking their customers to forgive them for running out of chooks.

Others were notorious, such as broadcaster Alan Jones apologising to former Prime Minister Julia Gillard for suggesting that her father had died of shame.

The intrigue was working out who the apology is from and where they were placed in history. They often started with a date, with the punchline being the end reveal of the author’s name.

Some of the regrets were transparently insincere or over-written.  The statement from Tiger Woods, when he was caught out as a serial philanderer, reeked of being crafted by a team of damage control publicists.

We weren’t left entirely to our own devices – building up the tension was an atmospheric lighting design by Suzie Frank and soundscape by Gail Priest.

It is customary to review performances in a review, and I have to say there some very strong ones.

Members of the audience rose to the occasion reading their scripts with passion and wit. No-one lacked fluency. A competitive tension arose when it was your turn to take the microphone.

There was raw emotion from one man reading an apology with a harrowing back story.

The conclusion was very poignant and unexpected, revealing what the writers feel needs to be apologised for.

A day after the performance an email plopped into my inbox. The producer of the Bondi Festival expressed sincere apologies for the fact that my ticket had not arrived in time for the performance, and I had to be waved in by the front of house team.  Apology accepted but was unnecessary.

The season of Sincere Apologies has concluded. The Bondi Festival continues until July 20.

David Spicer

Photographer: Lucy Parakhina

www.bondifestival.com.au