Theatre Review - Vere - Sydney Theatre Company 2013 Season

The cast of Vere onstage - Paul Blackwell as Vere (sitting, centre)

'Vere" written by John Doyle is a play of consummate comedy including bawdy school boy toilet humour, critical if somewhat obvious social observation but tinged with pathos and sadness. The theme of Doyle's play is dementia particularly its impact on the person facing this devastating mental  deterioration as well as those who care for that person. A mix of other themes including the science versus religion debate are weaved into the texture of the script for this two Act play with effective absurdist and comedic effect. 

Vere is a physicist and passionate advocate for a "theory of everything" to unify the known phenomena of the universe into a seamless whole. As an associate of Peter Higgs, he has been invited to participate in the proof of the Higgs boson at CERN's Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland in only a month’s time. It will be the crowning summit of his life in all ways personally and professionally. Alas medical tests have revealed Vere is suffering from early onset dementia with rapid deterioriation and he has only weeks, not months left. Act I is set in the University as Vere bids goodbye to the Vice Chancellor and his colleagues whilst hiding his dark diagnosis whilst Act II finds Vere living with his adult son's family as his condition worsens. 

Paul Blackwell commandingly holds centre stage as Vere with Geoff Morrell as the Vice Chancellor and later the pompous Reverend Roger. Rebecca Massey appears as both Vere's academic colleague and as the churchman's bi-polar but cheerfully ignorant wife. Matilda Bailey, Matthew Gregan, Ksenja Logos and Yalin Ozucelik (playing Vere's son) provide the strong supporting cast.

Doyle himself is well known to Australian audiences with an impressive list of credits to his name in theatre, film and television both as writer and as a performer. Overseas he is better known for his role as one of the Roy & H G duo of social and sports commentators.