For as long as there has been sex there has been cheating and, in turn, lies and murder. This is, of course, specifically referring to the human race, as animals tend to commit murder because they're feeling peckish, not because the missus schtooped some other bloke. In the gripping production of Dreams In White, writer Duncan Graham and director Tanya Goldberg explore these age-old notions of sex, lies and murder, resulting in an 80-minute thriller sure to induce laughter and perhaps even a hint of paranoia.
Inspired by real-life events, the story follows the disappearance of property developer Michael Devine (Andrew McFarlane), after his response to a swingers advertisement went awry, resulting in his death. Abandoning chronology from the get-go, the story chaotically unfolds into a quest by Michael's family to trace the events leading to his murder, as the outer-suburb swingers hilariously attempt to conceal the evidence. The plot is interspersed with parallel narratives, unrelated to the main story though played by the same actors. Whilst at times confusing, Graham is able to delve deeply into the impacts of deceit in sex on various Australian stereotypes – from the Gen Z virgin to the hard-arsed, middle-class wife.
Starring Lucy Bell (The Wog Boy) and Mandy McElhinney (Rhonda from the insurance ads!), Dreams In White is an impeccably acted and hard-hitting must-see, allowing viewers not a moment of downtime. This is one for the brave and emotionally secure.
SBW Stables Theatre to Saturday 23 March
