Review: Benelong in London at Wharf 1

Review by Kate Gaul

Bennelong in London (by Jane Harrison, directed by Ian Michael) frames history through an intriguing theatrical device. A young First Nations actor preparing to audition for the role of Bennelong is confronted by Bennelong himself, who insists that if his story is to be told, it must be on his own terms. The play moves fluidly between present-day Sydney, the early years of the colony and London in the 1790s, tracing Bennelong's capture, his relationship with Governor Phillip and Barangaroo, and his extraordinary journey to England. In doing so, it shifts Bennelong from the margins of Australian history to its centre, asking who has the authority to tell our national stories, and how history is shaped through performance, memory and power.

The production is anchored by two compelling performances. Guy Simon is, as always, a consummate performer. He brings warmth, precision and quiet intelligence to Sebastian, ensuring the contemporary framing device never feels like a simple rehearsal-room conceit. Simon discovers a genuine emotional and cultural connection to Bennelong's story, allowing the past to resonate through the present.

Opposite him, Googoorewon Knox is utterly captivating as Bennelong. Playful, generous and quietly commanding, he moves effortlessly between guide, knowledge holder, storyteller and performer. His musicality, humour and ease with the audience make Bennelong feel both historically significant and deeply human.

Composer and Sound Designer James Peter Brown's work is exceptional. From the cries of gulls, the wash of waves and the whisper of wind to a haunting original score, the soundscape becomes another storyteller. It underpins the emotional core of the production and carries us beyond language into feeling. Alongside the beautifully judged movement towards the play's conclusion, Brown's score reminds us that some histories are experienced as much through rhythm, memory and emotion as they are through words.

Emma White's design was the one element that left me less convinced. Its amalgam of suburban domesticity and the natural environment occasionally feels too literal for a work that is otherwise so imaginative in its theatrical language. Yet perhaps that visual familiarity is intentional, offering audiences something recognisable while they absorb a deeply confronting history that remains unknown to many Australians. Judging by the audible emotion in the theatre, there were certainly tears flowing around me.

What impresses is the play's sense of place. Sitting in the Sydney Theatre Company, between Barangaroo and Bennelong Point, we are surrounded by names that have become part of the city's everyday geography. Bennelong in London restores the people behind those place names. In a city where we casually speak the names Barangaroo and Bennelong every day, this production returns those names to the people who first carried them. In doing so, the production doesn't simply recount history, it makes it immediate, personal and impossible to overlook.

Image Credit: Daniel Boud