Day One, A Hotel, Evening by Joanna Murray-Smith

JUDGES' COMMENT

Two couples become embroiled in an increasingly dangerous game of sex and seduction, as friendly flirtation turns serious and emotional misunderstandings become disastrous when a free spirited woman in her 20s and a jilted lover armed with a gun are added to the mix. Two increasingly desperate businessmen delude themselves with ideas of ‘creating a postcode’ — where hundreds of happy families can live the ‘Australian dream’ – all the while denying the mounting evidence that their own relationships are collapsing under the weight of deceit and infidelity.

This play employs the form of the black comedy of manners with great success. Elegant, clever and dangerous writing make it instantly accessible as it effortlessly skewers middle class pretension and punctures the fast-buck world of high-end business and bored and lazy promiscuity. Fast paced and exciting, this is a sophisticated play stinking of sex and betrayal.