When I first saw that Belvoir was playing The Book of Everything, I was a little surprised, having not clocked it on the program for the season. As it turns out, the show was only added to Belvoir’s repertoire relatively recently after the planned production of Craig Silvey’s Runt could no longer proceed due to the author’s arrest yet the show has a long and storied history with Belvoir, having first played at the venue 16 years ago, so it absolutely did not feel out of place as a packed opening night crowd saw in its run. 

Despite the short lead-in, the show feels anything but rushed in its execution or ill-prepared, with a really clever set immediately welcoming audiences into the childlike mind of nine-year-old Thomas Klopper, who is growing up in post-World War II Amsterdam and sets his thoughts down in his Book of Everything which records his observations of the world. At first, this seems like it will be a fairly sweet, if slightly dull, story but it quickly turns into a powerful exploration of domestic violence and the power of the human spirit.

Thomas lives with his highly religious father who takes out his frustrations on the world on his wife and two children under the guise of the religion that he claims guides him. While this takes up a large part of the narrative, Thomas’s adventures to Mrs Van Amersfoort’s place next door despite his parents’ protestations contribute to the widening of his worldview, alongside his crush on a girl named Eliza and an imaginary Jesus figure who guides him throughout the show.

The acting needs to be flawless in this production to make it work and to appropriately convey the story through a child’s eyes and the cast do an exceptional job here, with Matthew Whittet the star as Thomas, balancing child-like innocence with the necessary acting chops to narrate the story. He is well supported by Rebecca Massey as his older sister, while Pamela Rabe provides the humour in a variety of roles, showing her incredible breadth as an artist. Claire Jones also does a strong job as Thomas’s mother, while Julie Forsyth arguably steals the show as the zany yet forceful Mrs Van Amersfoort who really shapes Thomas’s view of the world. 

John Gaden is also strong in his portrayal of Thomas’s father but his interpretation does feel as though it suffers from being too endearing at points. As the perpetrator of domestic violence, he is almost excused and lionised (or at least given some sort of redemption arc) by the end of the story, as he is invited to join the characters on stage for the final scene. This might be an attempt to see the world through Thomas’s eyes and avoid such a strong conclusion or it could also be making the point that domestic violence manifests in many different ways in addition to the black-and-white TV style we often see portrayed. However, it does feel like we have come some way in the national discourse in the 16 years since the play first premiered (although the last few weeks have shown perhaps not as much as we might hope) and to give a relatively sympathetic redemption arc to a character who brutalises his family through both physical violence and coercion for the sake of a somewhat happy ending does feel uncomfortable. Theatre has the power to shape narratives and challenge systems that entrench this behaviour and I feel that an opportunity was lost here to go beyond the surface. 

The other sparkling highlight of this show is Kim Carpenter’s absolutely gorgeous set. It is equally childlike in nature and bombastic in its execution and really makes the audience feel as if they are part of the action. This is well supplemented by frequent audience participation, which makes the show feel like a very fun and enjoyable night out. Jack Ward’s musical accompaniment is also a highlight, bringing even more life to the action on stage and further making this production feel immersive.

Overall, this is a beautiful performance, showing off a wonderful childlike innocence while masking what is quite a heavy-hitting story. While some elements could have been explored further and the show did drag a little in parts, the acting is exquisite and the set is absolutely beautiful, with the audience immersion really adding to what is a wonderful show. This is a great addition to Belvoir’s program for this year and all involved should be commended for putting together a fabulous work.

Rating: ★★★★

The Book of Everything plays at Belvoir St Theatre until 20 September 2026. For more information, click here.

All photo credits: Brett Boardman