‘Bennelong In London’: A Collision Of History, Humour And Heart

Bold and deeply felt, Bennelong in London turns one man’s audition into an electric reckoning, carried by two actors collapsing centuries into a single room.

Written by award-winning playwright Jane Harrison, the play follows Sebastian Anderson, played by Guy Simon, an eager young actor auditioning for the titular role in a production of Bennelong in London. With a few pleas, Anderson summons Bennelong himself, played by Googoorewon Knox.

What starts out as an actor’s dream character study turns into something far fiercer and quietly contemplative.
With a cleverly engineered setup, the play takes off.

Together, the two trace Bennelong’s storied past, but heard from the man himself, who has always been defined by his actions. The play unravels the man behind it all, someone curious and undeniably proud, from the time he was kidnapped and taught the coloniser’s version of civility, through the clever ways he pushed back, all the way to his marriage to the formidable Barangaroo and his eventual travels to London.

It prods at real questions along the way: how you hold onto your culture while being trotted as a symbol of it, and how none of it sits neatly as heroism or betrayal.

Simon plays Anderson with keen gusto, bringing a frantic energy alongside real softness, an actor chasing a break who slowly turns into a man genuinely trying to understand another. He’s often visibly in awe of Bennelong, and it shows.

Knox knocks it out of the park as Bennelong, using imposing physicality and sharp delivery to bring the man behind the myth to life, carrying loss and isolation without ever losing his pride.

The two start out wary of each other and slowly warm, almost like two men playing with one another, which is when the play is at its best.

The humour itself is biting, understated and littered with meta jokes about, and every one of them lands.

The play can feel didactic at times, especially through the middle stretch, and it’s stronger in its ideas than in its overall execution, but the performances never waver.

Things sharpen considerably once Bennelong reaches London, the stakes rising and the dialogue growing more resonant, building to a third act that finally lets both men, and both actors, truly see each other.

A rolling backdrop and a striking silhouette close things out, alongside ceremonial dance and song that feel less like a performance for the audience than a moment shared with them.

The staging matches that arc. A cluttered Parramatta flat sprouts tufts of tall grass underfoot, lit in warm, effusive tones, and Ian Michael directs with a deft hand, building a kinetic energy through blocking and movement that never lets the space go still.

It might still be working out its kinks and runs a touch long, but this is one to watch.

At its core, it’s about cultural inheritance, keeping who you are alive however you can, never forgetting your roots, standing tall despite everything.

It’s about First Nations pride, and the hurt that comes with holding onto it.

For anyone looking for a sharp, powerful two-hander that digs into complex history, Bennelong in London is it.

Bennelong in London runs until 16 August at Wharf Theatre.