Annie Baker's Pulitzer prize-winning play Circle Mirror Transformation has received a new production at Sydney Theatre Company, directed by Dean Bryant. The play, set in a community centre drama class, explores themes of vulnerability, connection, and self-discovery through a series of games and exercises.
Gold Logie winner Rebecca Gibney leads the cast as Marty, the warm and generous drama teacher. She is joined by Cameron Daddo as her husband James, Nicholas Brown as the recently divorced Schultz, Jessie Lawrence as the actor Theresa, and Ahunim Abebe in her company debut as the reserved teenager Lauren. The ensemble delivers strong performances that bring Baker's nuanced characters to life.
Dean Bryant's direction captures the rhythm of Baker's trademark silences and joyful conversations, creating a heart-first production that focuses on the small moments that shape lives. The play, written in 2009, is one of Baker's most accessible works, with fewer stretches of silence designed to provoke discomfort.
The production uses STC's Wharf 1 space to scale up intimacy for a larger audience, with Jeremy Allen's giant mirror-backed set allowing the audience to see themselves reflected in the action. The play invites viewers to bring the same attention and presence to their own lives, fostering a sense of connection that extends beyond the stage.
