THEATRE: THE GRENADE
In a world where mass paranoia is encouraged from every corner, it is refreshing to stumble upon a play that aims to poke fun of our fearful selves. The Grenade is the latest work from comic playwright Tony McNamara, described as, “A whodunit comedy of fidelity, marriage and inter-generational relationships.”
McNamara sees the play as a, “Slightly absurdist social comedy about a man who finds that someone has planted a hand grenade in his house, and how he responds to that.” Wanting to write a story about both politics and family, McNamara explores, “How our own thoughts can mess up our lives in a far worse way than the things that are actually happening around us.”
Finding the funny side of relatively dark topics, he fears that, “Society has lost its sense of humour about the reality of safety and powerlessness. With a constant stream of media telling you that you should be scared of just about everything, kids now grow up with that inherent sense of fear. I was interested in how that screws you up, how kids growing up in such an atmosphere feel, and whether it affects their ability to explore the world.”
Tony McNamara, one of Australia’s most successful playwrights, renowned for his wild-swinging satire and cheerful swipes at the darker side of human nature, will pull the pin on The Grenade at the Sydney Opera House from November 9.
Nov 9-Dec 12, Sydney Theatre Company, $30-80, 9250 1777, sydneytheatre.com.au
