Florian Zeller returns to the MTC with THE TRUTH

Academy Award-winning French playwright Florian Zeller’s work is back at MTC with The Truth, opening on Thursday 10 June at Southbank Theatre.

Michel and his wife Laurence are happily married. Michel’s best friend Paul is also happily married, to Alice. But Michel and Alice are having an affair, and Laurence seems to know that something’s going on. How far will Michel go to hide the truth? Why is Alice so keen to reveal it? What does Laurence actually know, or not know? And is Paul just pretending to be bad at tennis?

After a sell-out season of Zeller’s The Father in 2017, this devilishly dark comedy, directed by Sarah Giles(Straight White Men) and starring Michala Banas(Upper Middle Bogan), Stephen Curry (The Castle), Bert LaBonté (Kiss of the Spider Woman) and Katrina Milosevic (Wentworth), explores the truths that tear us apart and the lies that keep us together.

Florian Zeller is a French Academy Award-winning screenwriter, playwright and novelist. He is most well-known for Le Père (The Father) which he adapted with Christopher Hampton for the screen, winning the 2021 Academy Award for the Best Adapted Screenplay.

Florian said:

I am extremely happy that The Truth is to be produced at MTC in Melbourne. I love the idea that theatre is a vehicle for us to share emotions, reminding us that we are not merely isolated individuals but part of something bigger, which we could qualify as “humanity”. I would have loved to be present for opening night but my thoughts and sincere wishes will be with you, shining through the intermediary of all the artists involved and serving this “Truth”.’

Sarah Giles is an award winning theatre and opera director. Sarah studied directing at NIDA and works as both a Director and Dramaturg. She has directed work for leading arts companies across Australia including Melbourne Theatre Company, Sydney Theatre Company, Malthouse Theatre, State Theatre of South Australia, Griffin Theatre, The Australian Chamber Orchestra, Victorian Opera, Sydney Chamber Opera, Opera Queensland and more. Most recently she directed No Pay? No Way! for Sydney Theatre Company and Lorelei for Victorian Opera for which she received Helpmann and Green Room Award nominations for best director of an Opera.

Sarah said:

Florian has fleshed out a wonderfully simple premise into a remarkably surprising and elegant night in the theatre. What better place to flesh out notions of truth in the one place entirely built on lies – the theatre?’

Presented in the English translation by Tony and Academy Award-winning playwright and screenwriterChristopher Hampton (Les Liaisons Dangereuses, The Father), The Truth is a playful farce that asks us to consider the benefits of lying and the drawbacks of honesty.

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