Venus In Fur is ostensibly a play within a play. Tell us about the concept behind it.
The set-up is seemingly straightforward: clueless actress Vanda Jordan walks into an audition room at the end of a long and fruitless day for director/adaptor Thomas Novachek. She convinces him to let her audition and a brilliantly nuanced power play emerges as they leap in and out of scenes from Thomas’ play. Classic play within a play.
Could you ever see yourself working under a director like Thomas?
Yes! But in Thomas’ defence, he ain’t so bad. He has his good points. I’ve certainly been in volatile rehearsal rooms, although not as sexually heated as this one. Whips and leather boots aren’t part of my usual work attire.
It must be an especially exciting role for you to play, as the lead actress?
It’s enormous fun. The technical demands of playing comedy are huge, and I’m loving the challenge. It’s rare to play a character like this – a woman with agency. Vanda is funny, intelligent and dangerous. She’s a terrific character to spend time with.
How important is the play’s representation of sexual politics to its overall message?
Hugely important. The playwright David Ives has written a beautifully complex piece that skips along like the lightest of comedies. Dig into it a little and these fantastic insights into gender, power and sexuality start to blossom. I reckon it’s a play that reveals more and more each time you see it. Buy multiple tickets, is what I’m trying to say.
You’ve been a presence on the Sydney scene for many years. Where will the theatre business take you next?
I’m workshopping a play that I’ve written, which is damn exciting. It’ll be my first time sitting on the sidelines in a rehearsal room, tucked away behind a laptop.
Venus In Fur runs Wednesday June 3 – Sunday July 5 at Eternity Playhouse.
