Review: BEIRUT ADRENALINE Gives Audiences Rawness and Reality at Downstairs At Belvoir St Theatre

Whilst much of Australian theatre is gloriously preoccupied with exporting homeland stories and home-grown talent on international platforms, there are diamonds in the rough inviting the stories from nations far flung and offering us connection to a world we often feel disconnected from down here in comparable paradise. Beirut Adrenaline transports audiences into the conflict happening in Lebanon, that has become as much a part of life as work and romance. There, Marwan Daher lives separated from his family who have escaped to Paris. From their perspective, there is a somewhat rosy glow we can identify with as fellow outsiders. Director Anna Jahjah keeps the action remarkably genuine, overlapping rushing drama with sincere humour and teary-eyed nostalgia that left a slew of Audience members lost in reminiscence, some weeping, others holding tight to their loved ones. It was truly a community being part of the audience.

A fantastically diverse cast delivered some of the most committed and professional performances I've seen on Sydney stages. Standout performances by Neveen Hanna as neighbour Rima and Mansoor Noor as her younger brother Toufic; HAnna Handles the tightest emotional turns with believability and rousing emotion, playing the lost fiancée and brought levels to what it means to be a working woman in the conflict. Noor similarly showed great skills in dramatic effect that still seemed coy in his more aggressive or humorous, particularly haunting upon his return from an expedition with the militia. Eli Saad proved solid rock for the two settings, playing brothers Zyad and Marwan, and Sana'a Shaik operated much of the lighter tones splendidly.

Originally written by Hala Ghosn and Jalie Barcilon entirely in French, this production is the English premiere, which emphasises the moments of native tongue in respective scenes which fuelled a marvellous and important sense of place, culture and sacredness. The text itself is quite ambitious, and does include some unnecessary plot points that don't tie back in, which might be a translation result, but left time that would be better employed contextualising further or developing characters more consistently. That being said, there was no sense of performers being immune to the adrenaline of the title, transitioning set pieces and scene structures as per Clarisse Ambroselli's simplistic, modifiable design that serviced the real-life context provided by Gerry Shont & Larry Kelly's lighting and sound. The volumes were necessary, and effective both in terms of the battle sounds and anguish of the characters. Congratulations to Jahjah who has presented a diverse, dynamic and informative piece of work.

Tickets available on the Belvoir St website.

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