Review: INFLUENCE at Stirling Community Theatre

Reviewed by Barry Lenny, Friday 11th September 2026.

Directed by Vicky Horwood, David Williamson’s 2005 play, Influence, is the latest production from the Stirling Players. The central character is Ziggi Blasco, a vile, bigoted, divisive, opinionated right-wing talk-back host, a shock jock, on a Sydney radio station. The names Alan Jones, John Laws, and Stan Zemanek come immediately to mind.

Brendan Clare came in late to the production, replacing another actor who withdrew, but his powerful and nuanced performance shows no sign of his shorter rehearsal time. Clare creates a superbly bombastic character whose demeanour gradually deteriorates and his personal life gradually collapses around him, threatening his career and lifestyle. Clare brings forth plenty of laughter as Ziggi falters as he faces one setback after another.

Andrew Horwood has been given a gift of a part for an actor as Marco, Ziggi’s father, and he doesn’t waste a single word of his script, while delivering the lines with a perfectly consistent accent. He finds every bit of Marco’s inner conflict, and delivers a wonderfully understated performance, filled with emotional anguish. It is a master class in how to create an authentic, believable character.

Carla Hardy, plays the narcissistic, self-centred Carmela, a former ballet dancer who had danced a lead role for one performance when the two main dancers both fell ill and now has delusions of grandeur. Having taken a break to have a baby, she now devotes herself to regaining her skills in expectation of returning to dancing prima ballerina roles in Europe, and everybody around her is expected to cater to her every need. Hardy delivers her lines somewhat mechanically but, hopefully, she’ll relax and the character will develop as the season moves on. From time to time, breaks the fourth wall to speak directly at the audience, with her back to the other characters with whom she is supposed to be conversing. This is an odd directorial decision.

Zoe Battersby plays Ziggi’s difficult daughter, Vivienne, complaining as she arrives that she can no longer live with her mother, Ziggi’s ex-wife, and will now live with Ziggi, much to the distaste of his current wife, Carmela. She is petulant, grumpy, and clearly suffering from depression. Later, she enters a manic phase, and Battersby explodes onto the stage, racing around every square millimetre of the space, bouncing with energy, and enthusing over every facet of her character’s newfound lust for life. She creates the two widely diverse facets of her character with remarkable facility. She has been studying Drama in her final year at high school and, judging by this performance, applications to pursue professional training might be well worthwhile.

Ziggi’s sister, Connie, is played by Joanne St. Claire. Connie is the complete opposite to Ziggi, the voice of reason, the steady rock trying to hold the family together. St. Claire turns in another of her well-crafted performances, swinging easily between the strong woman confronting Ziggi and Carmela, and the empathetic woman supporting and offering care to Zehra, Marco, and Vivienne.

The household has two employees, the general factotum, Tony, and a newly-hired, poorly-paid, and overworked housekeeper, Zehra. Tony, played by John Koch, is a kindly soul who, along with Connie, offers support to Zehra, played by Turea Blyth. Ziggi has demonised and denigrated both the working poor, and Muslims on his radio show, and Zehra is in both categories.

Blyth fills her character with a range of deep emotions, stuck in a toxic working environment, but unable to quit as she needs the money to bring up her three young daughters alone since the death of her husband. Her beautiful portrayal creates a character who is the exact opposite of Ziggi’s description of people he really knows nothing about.  Koch brings a gentleness and stability to the role of Tony, quietly, but obviously reluctantly, carrying out the never-ending orders of his demanding employers, while supporting Zehra and Vivienne.

The smart set, by Erik Strauts, is primarily the luxury apartment, overlooking Sydney Harbour through a picture window, with the small radio studio set to one side, lit by another of Richard Parkhill’s impeccable lighting designs. Gilian Cordell provided the extensive wardrobe, with numerous changes for each of the cast.

The opening night of a show is always a reason for celebration by all of those involved. For Zoe Battersby, it was a double celebration. Instead of being out partying with friends and family, she had spent the evening of her eighteenth birthday on stage. It was announced at the end of the final bows, and the entire audience sang Happy Birthday to her.

The production runs until 26th September, so don’t delay, book your tickets quickly.