The Elocution of Benjamin Franklin review – Simon Burke is extraordinary in this timely queer classic
Belvoir St theatre, Sydney Actor deploys range and comedic skill in this gripping one-man show, which caused a sensation when it premiered in 1976 – and remains relevant todayGet our...
By Steve Dow · The Guardian Culture
Belvoir St theatre, Sydney Actor deploys range and comedic skill in this gripping one-man show, which caused a sensation when it premiered in 1976 – and remains relevant today Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email The play begins with Simon Burke ’s bare arse, facing the audience and bouncing side to side in time with David Bowie’s The Jean Genie. In this new production of a queer Australian classic, the actor is playing 56-year-old elocution teacher Robert O’Brien in stockings and suspenders, rouge on his face, caressing himself before a poster of Mick Jagger. While teaching, O’Brien wears a fusty green vest and brown suit and tie that blend with his living room furnishings; in private, cigarette in hand, he resembles Norma Desmond in cloth cap and dressing gown. Soon, he will search for his sanity as the state insinuates he’s a child abuser without granting him a trial, attacking his sexuality and gender expression. Continue reading...