OBSERVER: Cyrano de Bergerac
Artefact Theatre Company presents Cyrano de Bergerac from February 11 – 28 at fortyfivedownstairs.
Under the direction of Matthew Cox, Martin Crimp’s radical adaptation of the classic Edmond Rostand tale questions what violence comes from never being vulnerable.
This Cyrano is said to be stripped back, sharp-edged, and painfully current. Crimp’s modern-verse adaptation dives beneath the surface of the familiar love triangle into a world where language is performance, masculinity is armour, and beauty is weaponised.
“In the original play, Cyrano’s actions are lionised, held up as a kind of masculine ideal without much consequence,’ says director Matthew Cox.
“But Crimp’s version is extremely interested in consequence. It doesn’t just show toxic masculinity. It asks where it comes from.’
The script ditches period frills in favour of rapid-fire verse and minimalist staging — placing full focus on the emotional brutality of unspoken desire and unacknowledged shame.
Performance Details:
Dates: February 11–28
Times: Tuesday–Saturday 7.30pm, Sunday 5.00pm
Venue: fortyfivedownstairs – 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
Bookings: fortyfivedownstairs.com/event/cyrano-de-bergerac/
Cheryl Threadgold