Mystery and Intrigue in 'The River' Play

Sydney Theatre Company is staging Jez Butterworth's 2012 drama, 'The River.' The play centers on a man deeply engrossed in trout fishing, whose new romance with a woman is tested by her mysterious disappearance and the subsequent arrival of another woman.

Miranda Otto, Ewen Leslie, and Andrea Demetriades bring the complex characters to life. Ewen Leslie portrays a man whose romantic gestures are intertwined with his passion for fly fishing, while Miranda Otto and Andrea Demetriades navigate tentative romantic discoveries and disagreements.

Anna Tregloan's minimalist set and Damien Cooper's evocative lighting contribute significantly to the play's atmosphere. Director Margaret Thanos guides the narrative, focusing on the rituals of a developing romance within a subtly eerie twilight space.

The production explores themes of self-contortion in relationships and the deliberate withholding of intentions. While the performances are engaging, the play’s reliance on mystery, with the threat of harm to the female characters, is noted as a potentially heavy-handed device.

Dialogue often describes past events, which can feel mannered. Despite this, the play offers insights into how individuals adapt to appear appealing, though these subtleties require digging past the overt mystery.