The play's called "Sinners," and was written by husband-wife team Ramiz Tabit and Johann McIntyre. (Husband Ramit is originally from Lebanon; how his Melburnian wife ended up named Johann I don't know.)The play tells the story of a farmer from the Middle East who ends up fleeing to Australia and a Pentecostal minister (wife of another Pentecostal minister) who meet up, work through various religious questions, and, well, have an affair. It's not a perfect play; you can tell that it's been through many stages. It started as a project called "The Muslim sinner" and was to be a light-hearted look at Islam and modern life, but then 9/11 happened and the moment didn't seem right; this version started out trying to balance that out with a parallel story of a fundamentalist Christian, but their relationship and the challenges of being an immigrant and a Muslim in Australia and a woman set free from a misogynist religious tradition all make it into something more. Less clear in retrospect but more engaging while you're watching it! But it was well written, acted, directed. And the story of how Australian freedoms and love overcame the false certainties of religious fundamentalism went over well with the audience, not all of whom were typical Aussie religious sceptics.
The evening was fun also because this was a small show in a small space, and started to feel like family! The director started chatting with me as we waited for the show to start and when it started I recognized one of the two actors - Gemma Cavoli was the other lead in the "Happy End" I saw at VCA last December! - Remember, I found her co-lead working at the De Graves Cafe. (The other actor is originally from Iran.) And then the extended family of the authors (two Muslim women in head scarves, some pale-looking Ango-Celts, a Turk and her Croat husband Darko) invited me to join them for coffee after the show: "middle eastern hospitality," they said. Annnnnd I won the raffle with which each La MaMa performance begins, and have tickets for another show they have on at the moment, a prize-winning play called "Asylum"! Feel the love. And feel the vibrant immigrant Melbourne I've told you I'd tell you about but have not until now really seen!
