David Williamson is back out of retirement again for another play to kick off the Ensemble Theatre’s 2025 season. This time, the play is set around a family gathering, with Monique (Tracy Mann), hosting her three sons and their partners for the son’s shared birthday.

From the outset, the show is very well constructed, with Williamson slowly building up the setting and the tension, with little nuggets that reveal a lot about the various characters. Monique’s narcissism is immediately obvious however, Williamson does a fantastic job of layering the insidiousness by allowing the audience to come to the realisation that the special gathering that is so important to Monique (that none of her children want to attend) is actually the birthday of the children, not her own. 

Williamson is an expert at conveying the subtleties of human interaction through dialogue and this play is no exception. All the characters represent different archetypes, with Liam (Jack Starkey-Gill) being the political aspirant, Daniel (Sam O’Sullivan) being the mild-mannered, less accomplished member of the family while Charlie (Rowan Davie) is the kindred spirit, who has just settled down with his second wife, Midge (Tamara Lee Bailey). Liam’s wife Chrissy (Suzannah McDonald) has devoted her life to her husband and their children while Daniel’s wife Judy (Danielle King) is a high-flying corporate lawyer. They all have unique aspects and are all incredibly well-conveyed by their actors. 

The scenes between Monique and Judy are possibly the most revealing, with Judy being unafraid to challenge Monique’s narcissism which only injures her more as the night progresses. Through this, Williamson draws his most powerful insights into the family dynamic, revealing each character to be self-obsessed in their own ways. 

The play centres around Monique’s annual performance of an aria at the end of the night, which apparently shows off her skill that caused her to be accepted into a noted conservatorium (although this is later called into question). It is the height of delusion and is seen as such by all in the production but the various reactions to it continue to reveal a lot about the characters involved. This leads to a somewhat tragic ending for Monique, but really for all the characters, who leave the evening knowing less about their marriages and their lives than ever before. 

The play is very well-constructed for the most part, going for a little over 90 minutes however, the ending still drags slightly, with the last 20 minutes or so of the play focussing on the aria, which although central, starts to wear after a little while. Williamson’s writing is also insightful, revealing a great deal about his views on narcissism in modern day society and the insidious impact this has on families. The only issue is that the placement of this message seems somewhat insular, with a focus on white, middle-class families such that it feels like a milieu with not much applicability to those that fall outside those groups. 

Overall, this is a strong play that is entertaining and generally concise in its writing. The acting is sublime from all on stage and the dynamics that Williamson seeks to convey are all well-considered. However, this feels very much like a singular perspective and greater diversity in casting and in storylines would have perhaps been welcomed to make the points that Williamson seeks to pursue stand out even further. With that said, this is one of the stronger plays that Ensemble has produced in the last year and should be commended to anyone looking for a fun night out. 

Rating: ★★★★

Aria plays at the Ensemble Theatre until 15^th March. For more information, click here. 

All photo credits: Prudence Upton