First staged in 1977 by John Bell, at his Nimrod company, Louis Nowra's Inner Voices is getting its second-ever Sydney season courtesy of indie company Don't Look Away.
Nowra's dark Shakespearean tragedy looks at the corrosive effects of ignorance, abuse and power through the prism of Ivan, who is imprisoned and isolated from birth until manhood – only to be released and installed as a puppet king. It does not go well.
Melbourne-based director Philip Rouse formed Don't Look Away to resurrect forgotten Australian works, and has previously brought Alma de Groen's The Rivers of China, Bob Ellis and Michael Boddy’s The Legend of King O'Malley, and Alex Buzo’s Rooted to stage.
Inner Voices stars Annie Byron, Julian Garner, Emily Goddard, Nicholas Papademetriou, Anthony Gooley, Francesa Savige and Damien Strouthos.