A deep dive into both the last decade of gay cultural history and the decades that have come before, "The Inheritance" is a passionate exploration of questions of gay identity and how it's been communicated and understood - both in the contemporary world of gay marriage where it's easy to be complacent and the decades before when it has been at risk either through censorship both external and internal and the wider threats of disease and death. It's been a beloved text for me since I first read it back in 2018 and during the pandemic I wrote a piece on it called Shows I wish someone would do to try to communicate my love for it. I've read the play on and off since the first reading, delighting in its depth and breadth as it examines two central couples from different generations, the wealthy young actor and the impoverished sex worker who become involved, and their attempts to tell their stories with honesty and integrity, even as they fight against their own worst instincts.
Jarrad West's production is a wonder, bringing together a powerhouse cast in a small traverse arena, up close and very personal, managing the multiple modes of the show, from epic speeches to small two-person scenes to grand debates on essential questions of gay and American political culture - act two of part one alone contains both a sensual erotic re-enactment of a night in a Prague bathhouse, a Manhattan brunch debate on the nature of Gay Cultural Co-Option, and a tear-down bruising fight as a couple fall apart. The bare space - two sets of benches with props concealed within them on either side of the stage with a white open area between them - is filled with life, action, and animating thought throughout.
Among the powerhouse performances are Duncan Driver in his first appearance on Canberra stages in around 5 years - playing both Morgan (E.M Forster as narrator, in constant dialogue with the young men of the cast, challenging and examining their choices) and Walter, the historic emotional heart of the show and the strongest connection to history - his delivery of the monologue at the act one should break every heart in the theatre. James McMahon is so easy to take to heart as Eric Glass - a protagonist whose pure goodness rarely wavers should be difficult to take, lacking in the stimulating flaws of much of the rest of the cast, but McMahon manages to make this goodness gripping and powerful. Joel Horwood makes compelling the pure agent of chaos that is Toby Darling, selfish, frustrating, self-pitying, often disastrously wrong, they are somehow gripping as you hopelessly wish that just once, Toby would make the right decision. Andrew McMillan is fascinating in duel roles both as the privileged Adam and the unprivileged Leo, managing to differentiate them firmly throughout, even at the point when the two characters meet in the story. Rhys Robinson as the distant, powerful financier Henry lets us see both the wall he maintains professionally and the holes in the armour where emotions sneak through - both the warm lovingness and the sudden rage when he erupts when pained. Lachlan Herring makes a delight of the waspish Jasper who comes alive when the debate gets passionate, and Jack Tinga brings warmth as Tristian, the friend who brings uncomfortable truths. Callum Doherty and Michael Cooper match well with their older counterparts as the Young Walter and Henry, and Robbie Haltiner and Leonidas Katsanis have a gentle warmth as the Jasons. Liam Pritchard as Toby's agent presents harsh showbiz realities with a suitable lack of sugar coating. And Karen Vickery brings it home with warmth and honesty as truth-teller Margaret.
There's so much strength here, whether it be in Lachlan Houen's lighting (which even manages to reflet the Everyman logo in a couple of the shadows), the combination of movenent director/choreographer Chloe Archer and Intimacy Co-ordinator Karen Vickery in the carefully choreographed sensual sequences, the multiple props including many editions of books mentioned in the text co-ordinated between Marion West, Alice Ferguson and Brenton Warren, the costumes designed and co-ordinated by Joel Horwood, Fiona Leech, Emma Batchelor and Vanessa Valois, the location specific sound design by Nikki Fitzgerald and Nathan Patrech, the warm original music by Alexander Unikowski - this is finely produced stuff with all the parts making up the whole beautifully.
Matthew Lopez's play is a very aware part of the tradition of Gay men telling their stories, from the closeted days of Wilde, Maugham, Forster and Noel Coward, through to the semi-revealed closet of Tennessee Williams to the open rompery of Joe Orton, the bitterness of Mart Crowlely, the rage of Larry Kushner, the warmth of Armistead Maupin, the political spectacle of Tony Kushner and the personal intimacy of Tommy Murphy and is a worthy successor to all of them - it's a grandly powerful, emotional, intelligent, erotic, spectacle for the mind, soul and heart. It's a production that will live long in my memory.
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