Review by Markus Hamence – Performance date: Thursday 07 August 2025, Holden Street Theatre, Hindmarsh, South Australia
A Scorching, Sophisticated, and Soul-Baring Night at the Theatre
Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf was first staged in October 1962 and famously adored by the film adaptation released in 1966, written by Ernest Lehman, directed by Mike Nichols, and starring Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, George Segal, and Sandy Dennis. It examines the complexities of the marriage of middle-aged couple Martha and George. Late one evening, after a university faculty party, they receive unwitting younger couple Nick and Honey as guests and draw them into their bitter and frustrated relationship.
And here we are, now…
There are theatrical nights that settle gently on the soul – and then there are nights like this. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, staged with utter brutal brilliance at Holden Street Theatres, is not for the faint-hearted. It’s a no-holds-barred psychological slugfest dressed as an after-dinner party, a slow unravel of civility that morphs into a full-scale emotional detonation. This production sinks its teeth into Edward Albee’s iconic text and refuses to let go, delivering one of the most gut-wrenching, intellectually invigorating nights of theatre Adelaide has seen in recent memory. Bravo to Holden Street Theatres.
“If Adelaide had Kings and Queens of South Australian theatre, take a bow my royalty…” – Markus Hamence
From the opening scene, the audience is thrust into the claustrophobic and combative world of George and Martha, a long-married couple who know each other’s wounds like old maps – and aren’t afraid to press the bruises. The two lead actors are nothing short of phenomenal – Martha Lott as Martha and Brant Eustice as George don’t even try to perform the roles; they embody them. Martha is savage, sensual, and razor-tongued, while George seethes with academic disillusionment and buried rage. Their chemistry is volcanic, their timing exquisite, and their capacity to swing from ferocious wit to aching vulnerability is masterful. You could hear a pin drop one moment, and the audience’s breath hitch the next. Martha and Brant, I cannot even imagine how these roles are played out for the entire season, credit to the fine outstanding actors that you are, in awe. If Adelaide had Kings and Queens of South Australian theatre, take a bow my royalty.
The younger couple – Nick and Honey – arrive as guests and soon find themselves trapped in George and Martha’s destructive theatre of war. Chris Asimos (Nick) and Jessica Corrie (Honey) are perfection, smashingly casted as these characters. Their transformation over the course of the play is subtle and compelling. Nick, initially smug and composed, is slowly dismantled, while Honey, underestimated from the start, reveals layers of complexity that catch the room off guard. The actors bring depth and nuance to these supporting roles, never letting them become merely reactive to the main storm but instead vital parts of the emotional and thematic architecture.
How all four actors go home and sleep peacefully at night after performing this theatre is unknown to me… The emotional torture they endure is unbelievable. And HOW Martha Lott still has a voice each night is admirable. Credit.
“Adelaide’s beloved Theatre main-stay, Peter Goers, is not known to shy away from challenging work… AND there’s NO shying away from the text’s darker corners or its psychological brutality…” – Markus Hamence
Direction is sharp and courageous. Adelaide’s beloved Theatre main-stay, Peter Goers, is not known to shy away from challenging work… AND there’s NO shying away from the text’s darker corners or its psychological brutality. Albee’s writing is dense, rhythmic, and viciously poetic, and this production leans into its cadence with confidence. Goers has clearly trusted the material, grabbed it by the balls and more importantly, the cast – to speak its truths, and the result is a staging that feels both timeless and shockingly current. This is a play about illusions – personal, relational, and societal – and in this era of curated identities and public facades, its relevance lands with a brutal punch.
The setting at Holden Street Theatres is a triumph in intimacy. The venue’s close quarters serve to intensify the emotional heat. The set design, while modest, is rich with character – books, booze and vintage furnishings create a lived-in authenticity. It’s a space that feels like it’s been both loved and loathed in equal measure, which mirrors the relationship on stage. The lighting and soundscape are minimal but very effective, shifting subtly to mirror the emotional landscape. There’s no need for theatrical gimmicks here – the words, the performances, and the unrelenting emotional tension are more than enough.
Perhaps what’s most powerful about this production is its commitment to discomfort. There are no safe exits. The audience is held captive, not just physically but emotionally. You’re not simply observing dysfunction – you’re part of it. You laugh, you flinch, you judge, and at times, you see yourself reflected in the pain. It’s immersive theatre in the most psychological sense. And while the evening ends in a whisper rather than a bang, that whisper is deafening.
“It’s theatre at its most potent – intelligent, fearless, and emotionally devastating and it took only a millisecond for a standing ovation…” – Markus Hamence
This production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is a masterpiece of performance and direction. It’s theatre at its most potent – intelligent, fearless, and emotionally devastating and it took only a millisecond for a standing ovation. Holden Street Theatres has delivered a show that will rattle around in your chest long after the lights come up. If you believe theatre should challenge, provoke, and ignite conversation, then this is essential viewing.
Final Word: Explosive, elegant, and excruciating in the best way – this is theatre that dares to get messy, and it’s all the more magnificent for it. Do not miss this. Bravo.
Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf
Holden Street Theatres
5-16 August 2025
Ticket link!
