All that glitters is not gold in Emerald City, David Williamson’s razor sharp comedy about real estate, ambition, power and navigating slippery rungs on the ladder to success. The show was an immediate hit when it premiered in Sydney in the 1980s; part love letter, part hate mail directed at the instantly recognisable peculiarities of the Harbour City, and it still packs a punch three decades later.
Fading screenwriter Colin finds himself drawn into a tug of war between art and commerce when he teams up with hack writer Mike, but he’s also interested in Mike’s girlfriend. What could go wrong? Maybe ask Colin’s wife Kate, who’s none-too impressed about the relocation to Sydney in the first place. It's a searing satirical cut on what it takes to make it in the NSW capital. It is witty, wise and fast-moving, and the truth bomb jokes keep exploding (including some vintage Melbourne rivalry). The play's directed by Lee Lewis and the cast includes Lucy Bell, Mitchell Butel, Jennifer Hagan, Kelly Paterniti, Ben Winspear and Gareth Yuen.
The good news is you can stream the show Time Out Melbourne awarded four stars from the comfort of your own home in a co-production by Australian Theatre Live and Griffin Theatre Company, hosted online by Riverside Theatres Digital. You can tune into a special watch party on Friday August 27 at 7.30pm that comes with special bonus behind-the-scenes material, or on-demand (minus the extras) until Sunday, September 12 at 10pm.
