Published: 03/03/2021
Things I Know to be True, a poignant drama opening at The Court Theatre on 20 March, has been picked up by Amazon for a series adaptation featuring Academy Award Winner Nicole Kidman.
Written by award-winning Australian playwright Andrew Bovell, the tender and relatable drama, follows a year in the life of the Price family.
“I’ll never forget the experience I had watching Andrew’s play in Sydney, having one of those transcendent theatre experiences,” Kidman said.
Things I Know to be True follows married couple Bob and Fran Prince as they watch their adult children make shocking decisions that changes the course of their lives, exploring the resilience of an enduring marriage and how love and families can evolve.
An award-winning Bovell play about family graced the stage at The Court Theatre in 2014, when audiences were touched by When the Rain Stops Falling.
“This play is about resilience and change and how we negotiate a new world together.” Director Shane Bosher said.
“Rich in metaphor, it feels like a play for now. We need to share space; we need to congregate and we need to laugh together. Having loved each other for over thirty years, it should be time for Fran and Bob to slow down and smell the roses – until the lives of their adult children come crashing through the back door.”
It stars New Zealand powerhouse actress Lara Macgregor and acclaimed Kiwi actor Stephen Lovatt, along with Heather O’Carroll, Simon Leary, Daniel Watterson and Caitlin Rivers who bring the characters of their children to life. Bovell said the play is a story about family, “that thing you spend your life trying to escape from only to yearn for what you’ve lost if you ever do.”
The Court Theatre’s Artistic Director Dan Pengelly said when he started reading the play, he just could not put it down “It just felt so real, like I have met these people. This is an edge of your seat drama that promises an honest reflection of family truth.”
“This play will resonate with so many different people because family is something every single person has experienced. Whether it is the family you are dealt or the family you choose, everyone has experienced that deep bond and connection.”
Things I Know to Be True has special significance as it is the first collaboration between The Court Theatre and Circa Theatre that Pengelly hopes will pave the way for more collaboration between the companies in the future.
Opening on Saturday 20 March Things I know to Be True runs until 17 April 2021.