With Front Foot Theatre, Dinner with Friends by Donald Margulies marked our second presentation of a Pulitzer Prize-winning script in our American Theatre season that year. Following the intricate and weighty production of Rabbit Hole, I sought a substantial change in tone, aiming for a lighter, more playful atmosphere reminiscent of children pretending to be adults in a playpen.

 

I personally designed the production, creating a wall filled with shelves resembling IKEA furniture. These shelves transformed into various pieces of furniture and settings through heavily choreographed movement sequences, with each shelf adorned with symbols representing the characters' lives. The set changes were accompanied by a playful sound score, featuring percussion and vocalisation by the acclaimed artist Bobby McFerrin.

 

The production highlighted my skills as a movement, fight, and intimacy director, effectively portraying the struggle of individuals carrying a sense of eternal childhood into adulthood, grappling with family and responsibility. Despite the dense and challenging text, the cast demonstrated remarkable skill in execution, earning praise from both critics and audiences alike.

 

The production was buoyant, playful, cheeky, and deeply moving, resonating particularly with older audience members who appreciated its exploration of the imperfections and struggles of long-term relationships, monogamy, and marriage.