THEATRE: TRUE WEST

Hailing from the old rancho California, on the edge of the Mojave desert, where, “You could get a dozen artichokes for a buck or something,” Sam Shepard has long been obsessed with the mythology of the West, the fracturing of the nuclear family, and the dissolution of the American dream. He might be more well known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning play Buried Child (1978) or his iconic collaboration with legendary director Wim Wenders in Paris, Texas (1984) – but True West (1980) is still a telling insight into a lifelong obsession. In it, estranged brothers Austin and Lee, brought together in their senile mother’s empty house, spend a few long, booze-drenched days and nights bickering over screenplays, their drifter father, familial legacy, and ultimately, who is a better, stronger, and more ‘true’ representation of the West. It may seem trivial, but what this production – directed by American actor Philip Seymour Hoffman and starring Brendan Cowell and Wayne Blair – mainly suffers from is the jarring use of an American accent, not really mastered by either of the otherwise accomplished actors. Could it have been done in any other way? I am not sure, but it detracted and distracted from a strong story, staged well.

Until Dec 18, Sydney Theatre Company, Hickson Rd, Walsh Bay, $30-70, 9250 1777, sydneytheatre.com.au