Griffin Theatre Company to Present THE HOUSE ON THE LAKE in May

Razor sharp and tourniquet tight, The House on the Lake is a psychological thriller, so crafty it's criminal. Mired deep in layers of deception, it's a puzzle of a play certain to engage the intellect and assault the nervous system.

David, a criminal lawyer with a cool head and a passion for logic, wakes up to find himself confined to a small, sparsely furnished room, unable to remember what happened the day before. With the help of his doctor, he begins to coax memories out of the darkness, before the details of a terrible secret emerge.

Fennessy describes the play as "a chess match between two erudite, ruthless, professionals, a lawyer and a doctor, who, toe to toe, are arguing over the relative truth of two variant narratives."

The House on the Lake was devised by playwright Aidan Fennessy and had its world premiere at Black Swan State Theatre Company in 2014. Aidan is a past winner of the Griffin Award, winning in 2010 for his work Brutopia, and his work, Chilling and Killing My Annabel Lee, was part of Griffin's 1999 season. His work has also been produced by Melbourne Theatre Company, Queensland Theatre Company, HotHouse Theatre, Playbox, Rock Surfers Theatre Company and Black Swan State Theatre Company. The House on the Lake will be directed by Kim Hardwick, of White Box Theatre, who recently directed the Griffin Independent production of Unholy Ghosts in 2014.

"Crime narrative will always, eventually, concern itself with the truth and theatre is the perfect platform in which to examine the binary oppositions of truth and lying, "says Fennessy. "The great paradox of theatre is that it is a tightly constructed lie designed to reveal truth. It's been estimated that we can now expect to be lied to between 10 and 200 times on any given day. Lying is the new black, part of our social fabric, part of our survival mechanism. If you can't lie you are not going to survive in this very complex world we live in"

The two - hander cast will feature Jeanette Cronin and Huw Higginson. Cronin has appeared in several Griffin productions including The Boys, Quack, Bug and Holding the Man. She recently starred as iconic movie goddess Bette Midler for God-Bod Theatre's Queen Bette. Her film and television credits include The Boys, Terra Nova, Janet King, Crownies and Rake. Huw Higginson appeared in Griffin's 2014 pantsguys/Griffin Independent production On the Shore of the Wide World. He is best known for playing PC George Garfield in ABC/ITV's The Bill, and has appeared in EastEnders and Heartbeat.

Director Kim Hardwick says "Theatre is a parade of personas where the tensions between what is revealed and concealed, what is true and false, what is seen or imagined, continually fascinates both the creators and the audience. The thrill of discovery never grows old."

Playwright Aidan Fennessey

Director Kim Hardwick

Designer Stephen Curtis

Lighting Designer Martin Kinnane

Composer Kelly Ryall

Stage Manager Edwina Guinness

With Jeanette Cronin, Huw Higginson

PERFORMANCE DATES

Previews 15, 16, 18, 19 May

Opening 20 + 21 May

Season 22 May - 20 June

Meet the Artists after the performance on 26 May

PERFORMANCE TIMES

Monday - Friday 7pm
Saturdays 2pm and 7pm

NEW: weekday matinee - Tuesday 16 June, 1pm

Bookings 02 9361 3817 or www.griffintheatre.com.au

Adult $55 | Concession/Preview/ Seniors/Group+8 $43| Under 30 $35 l Monday Rush $20
Transaction fees of $4 for online bookings and $5 for phone bookings apply

$20 Rush tickets - limited number available Monday evenings at the door. All tickets unsold one hour prior to performance are $20 (max 2 tickets per person)

Griffin acknowledges the generosity of the Seaborn, Broughton and Walford Foundation in allowing it the use of the SBW Stables Theatre rent free, less outgoings, since 1986.

Griffin Theatre Company is assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body; and the NSW Government through Arts NSW.