REVIEW: Acts Of Faith

A Queensland property developer and a nun from the Daughters of the Divine Sorrow raise some eyebrows in the world premiere of Acts of Faith.

Larger than life, Arthur Hamilton (Joseph JU Taylor), pitches a proposal to buy a large conglomeration of properties that includes eight convents, belonging to an order of Belgian nuns, established in the 1800s. Sister Thelma (Taylor Owynns) is the last nun of her order, she has a gambling past and seems to indulge in inappropriate behaviour whilst conducting her business dealings.

The two share their life stories and Sister Thelma divulges some very personal history, including losing her virginity to a Burwood newsagent Adonis, and the audience cringes at her indiscretion.

Is she a wild card, or is it just an act for the sake of business; what is behind her unusual behaviour? The pair consort over dinner at a bar and grill, accompany each other to the races, and Arthur even takes Sister Thelma back to his place for drinks. All the while we are questioning the appropriateness of her behaviour.

When Arthur morphs into a new persona, Terry, he loses some of the swagger and over the top mannerisms and they realise they have a hell of a lot in common.

Acts of Faith has the opportunity to create something poetic out of this rich and imaginative tapestry. The sound designer, Martyn Wilson, uses interesting, cryptic voice overs, that lets us peer inside the actors’ heads, while announcing personal epiphanies and forewarning of plot tangents.

That the nun is out of character is cause for tension but there is richness, spirituality and religious symbolism just begging to be explored. The themes deal with what lies within loss of faith, alcoholism, gambling, greed, regret and deceit.

Until Aug 4, Tue-Sat 7:30pm. King St Theatre, 644 King St & Cnr Bray St, Newtown. $28-$35. Tickets & Info: www.kingstreettheatre.com

Reviewed by Mel Somerville.