Camp. Riotous. Nail-biting.
Allocation is now exhausted for The Elocution of Benjamin Franklin! Keep an eye on our ticketing page, as small handfuls of tickets may become available due to occasional cancellations.
To join the waitlist, please contact our friendly Box Office team at [email protected].
A landmark work of Australian theatre returns to the stage where it first sprang to inglorious life.
steve j. spears’s The Elocution of Benjamin Franklin scandalised and mesmerised in equal measure when it premiered in 1976—touring across the world and collecting awards everywhere it ventured. Now, on its 50th anniversary, Simon Burke takes on the towering role that Gordon Chater made infamous.
Robert O’Brien is an elocution teacher whose career is going nowhere fast. Stuck in a dreary cycle of diaphragm exercises and She-Sells-Seashells, every evening he escapes into extravagant fantasies of seducing Mick Jagger.
Then, a new student arrives. Benjamin Franklin. A 12-year-old acting prodigy with a stutter, a pack-a-day smoking habit and some unsettling curiosities about his middle-aged voice teacher. With half of Double Bay already suspicious of their flamboyant neighbour, a ticking time bomb is lit.
Directed by Artistic Director Declan Greene (Naturism, The Lewis Trilogy), this revival is a riotous, razor-edged tragicomedy and harrowing portrait of persecution. Half a century on, it’s just as urgent—and unsettling—as ever.
Director Declan Greene
Designer Isabel Hudson
Lighting Designer BROCKMAN
Composer & Sound Designer David Bergman
Community Engagement Strategist Bayley Turner
Vocal Coach Linda Nicholls-Gidley
Intimacy Coordinator Chloë Dallimore
Magic/Illusion Consultant Adam Mada
Producer Gus Murray
Stage Manager Isabella Kerdijk
With Simon Burke
Venue
Downstairs Theatre, Belvoir
Previews 21 – 25 February
Opening Nights 26 & 27 February
Season 28 February – 29 March
Performance Times
Tuesday– Friday 7pm
Saturday 1pm & 7pm
Sunday 5:30pm*
*Except 22 February
We’re Here: In Conversation Saturday 7 March
Join us for an intimate conversation with four of Australia’s staunchest, most enduring activists about the progress of LGBTQIA+ rights since the time of this play’s premiere 50 years ago.
Find Out More
Meet The Artists Tuesday 3 March
Theatre Club Thursday 12 March
Captioned Performance Wednesday 18 March
Run Time
Approximately 95 minutes, no interval
SUBSCRIPTION PACKAGE TICKETS
Full from $55
Senior from $52
Concession from $45
Under 35 from $30
GENERAL RELEASE TICKETS
Full from $69
Senior from $65
Concession from $57
Under 35 from $48
Rush Tickets $25
The Elocution of Benjamin Franklin contains nudity, simulated gun use, references to child sexual abuse, ableism, representations of homophobia, historical depictions of gender diversity, a live flame, strobe lighting and loud sounds.
The creative team have worked to adapt The Elocution of Benjamin Franklin for this production, respecting the playwright’s intentions, the evolving needs of communities represented and acknowledging the truth of the times in which it is set.
Please reach out to the Griffin team if you require any further information or support.
For more detailed information on the performance content, please read our Access Document. Word | PDF
Photos by Brett Boardman
Photos by Brett Boardman
“Burke brings an extraordinary dramatic range and comedic skill” ★★★★★—Steve Dow, The Guardian
“The synergy between Burke as a performer and the text is extraordinary.” ★★★★★—Chad Armstrong, Cultural Binge
“Burke’s performance is virtuosic, and nothing short of breathtaking.” ★★★★★—Claira Prider, Theatre Thoughts
“Simon Burke, under the incisive direction of Declan Greene, is extraordinary.” ★★★★★—Victoria Luxton, Stage Door Podcast
“Simon Burke gives an outstanding performance, with great depth and range.” ★★★★1/2—Patrick Lau, Limelight
“Burke’s performance is measured, blending high camp and quiet devastation. Nothing is wasted.” ★★★★1/2—Malavika Nair, ArtsHub
“The wonder of Burke’s achievement is making O’Brien glow with an inner warmth that jack-knifes to spitting rage.” ★★★★—John Shand, The Sydney Morning Herald
“Simon Burke AO delivers a performance of remarkable depth and emotional acuity in his portrayal of Robert.” ★★★★—Suzy Wrong, Suzy Goes See
“A masterpiece in one-man acting” ★★★★—Kiran Gupta, Musical Theatre AU
“Burke has made this role his own, displaying the depth of his stage craft”—John Moyle, Australian Arts Review
“Simon Burke delivers an amazing tour de force performance”—Alky Avramides, South Sydney Herald
“Burke masters transitions with flair and skill; it is a marvellous performance”—Carrie Kablean, Megaphone Oz
“Burke gives a bold, brave performance”—Cymbeline Buhler King, The Conversation
“Isabel Hudson’s exquisitely detailed and functional set and costume design, Brockman’s lighting and David Bergman’s sound design further elevate this transformative show.”—Richard Cotter, Australian Stage
“Simon Burke AO deserves all the praise he is receiving for this incredibly challenging role”—Gill Canning, MiNDFOOD
“Burke not only holds the space, he completely owns it.”—Kathryn Thomas, Theatre Travels
“Burke’s performance is extraordinary.”—Naomi Lawrence, City Hub
The Elocution of Benjamin Franklin is made possible with the support of the Sally Breen Family Foundation and the Griffin Redraft Fund.
QUEER LIVES UNDER PRESSURE
❤︎ SEE IT IF YOU LIKED:
- The Homosexuals, or ‘Faggots’ by Declan Greene
- Ladies Day by Alana Valentine
- Holding The Man by Tommy Murphy
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