Theatre / Face to Face, by David Williamson, Mockingbird Theatre. At Belconnen Arts Centre until October 17. Reviewed by ARNE SJOSTEDT

The value in this play was in the moments it created. Heightened moments, introspective ones, moments of conflict and moments of connection.

The story David Williamson tells in Face to Face centres on a community conference. To avoid jail time, Glen, endearingly played by Joshua Nicholls, must confront the consequences of his actions alongside those affected by them through a process of restorative justice.

Exploring themes of accountability and responsibility, workplace power dynamics, bullying and loyalty, and the way apparently simple disputes can reveal deeper personal and organisational failures, the play unfolds through a collection of stories that weave together to illuminate the powerful ways lives can affect each other.

Director Céline Oudin deliberately and successfully chose to set the stage with chairs and nothing else. This naturally focused attention on the characters, on the words they spoke, the stories that unfolded and the performances that inspired.

This also meant that a few opening night niggles were magnified, however this didn’t detract from the overall impact of the play.

It was a thought-provoking experience where Williamson’s text and the moments that he wrote into it were dramatically elevated. This was aided and abetted by an effective sense of timing, where the roughly 80-minute experience was expertly paced, and devoid of dull moments. All this was driven by a committed cast delivering moments of humanness that made everything all the more satisfying.

Ultimately, this play was believable. It succeeds because it never allows blame to remain simple. Through a compelling script and committed performances, Williamson’s exploration of restorative justice is entertaining and surprisingly affecting.

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