Theatre Review: Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes

 Play: Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes by Hanna Moscovitch

Theatre: Southbank (Melbourne Theatre Company production)

Stars: 4

Just being back in a theatre again was the best feeling ever. 

Jay and I had booked a few weeks ago for the return Melbourne Theatre Company season. Thanks to COVID, the theatres have been shut, and they're just starting to limp back into activity. The excitement was palpable - we've been trotting along to the MTC for years now. Having a subscription to the local theatre complanyhas been a badge of pride of mine for years. 

The plays showing from March through May were supposed to be on last year, keeping the cast and sets that would have been prepared for the 2020 season. I remember looking at this in the brochure in the back end of 2019 and thinking that it looked interesting.

And it was. 

According the the MTC website, the play is about the following:

 "Jon is a prize-winning novelist who wants more out of life. His third marriage is going about as well as his first two, and he’s stuck at university teaching creative writing to lazy undergraduates. He’s a good teacher, but believes there’s really only one student worth his time.

Annie is clever, imaginative, and a huge fan of Jon's work. One afternoon, Jon catches himself admiring Annie in her red coat, and very soon it feels like their affair was destined from the start. But when the embers have cooled and the affair is over, who will control their narrative?"

This is a very enjoyable, whip-smart, thought-provoking play. Jon, played by Dan Spielman, is the quintessential middle-aged man, falling for one of his students. With all that is playing out in the papers at the moment, your head goes through every combination and permutation about what is going on between him and Annie, his beguiling, seemingly innocent, very intelligent student. 

Isabella Yena is eerily controlled as Annie, the student, who although consenting, as the relationship continues, you begin to wonder just where the power is going to shift. 

As the play continues, you're forever questioning what is going to happen, is it right, and is Jon in the wrong. It then gets a bit bit meta near the end - which is the brilliance of the play. 

With a stripped back set and savvy direction, this was a wonderful return for the MTC. The Southbank theatre has been adapted and is now in four quadrants. Our seats in G row were near a new central aisle, giving us more leg room - a large criticism of the theatre's former set up. There is also the COVID procedures to go through before entering the complex, signing in on the app before entering and the bar is not in commission at the moment, although the eateries around the area were doing great business last night.

Even with my reputation of going to anything in the theatre (that's not a musical) this was great. Relevant, pertinent and thought provoking, it was a great night out. 

And even better, with the earlier start time of 7.30, this short play of 75 minutes meant we missed the footy traffic and I was home just after nine. 

Today's Song: