It’s called Detroit, but may resemble suburbia anywhere; the periphery of a once-great industrial city now crumbling into economic uncertainty. Darlinghurst Theatre Company stages the Australian premiere of Lisa D'Amour's Detroit – continuing its trend of introducing edgy contemporary works from the USA.
After success last season with another lower-working-class US comedy The Motherfucker with the Hat, Darlinghurst Theatre is confident in Detroit’s reach and relevance, with its universal themes of economic and social hardship. "Detroit is about dreams, self-respect, employment and community, and how quickly these can be destroyed," says director Ross McGregor.
Detroit did very well in its home country, becoming a Pulitzer Prize finalist after debuting in 2010. The New York Times called it "a smart, tart critique of the country’s fraying social fabric". This accomplished Aussie cast (including Lisa Chappell, of McLeod’s Daughters fame) should deliver a solid performance of this black comedy, and transplant the story into the psyche of Sydney.