What do we value? Success? Glamour? Notoriety?
Based on the novel by DBC Pierre, and adapted by Tanya Ronder, Vernon God Little is a satire on all that’s crass, trash and shallow.
Director Louise Fischer has cast wonderfully – these incredibly vibrant actors have created a world of bold, bright, fun characters.
Poor Vernon, played marvelously by Luke Willing, is their hapless victim.
A lot of satires pull down – there’s always plenty of healthy demolition work to do. But this one also builds, offering a passionate plea for compassion.
But can I talk of one more value? It’s neither pilloried nor promoted [directly] in the script, but informs the whole production. That value is exuberance [or, perhaps more accurately, EXUBERANCE!!!]
There’s extraordinary energy on this stage, a beautiful vitality.
It is tempting to think honesty is found only in understatement. That quiet is somehow truthful.
But we all come kicking and screaming into this world – or that’s how it should be. And if Life doesn’t continue to shock us, surprise us, confront us – ravish us – then we’ve made an unholy, unhealthy peace with it.
It’s a strange expression ‘larger than life’. Life will always stretch to fit.
How high is the sky? As far as you can see.
Veronica Kaye
Vernon God Little
New Theatre til 15 Sept
Theatre Red 
I have not see this play, but agree with your sentiments re ‘EXUBERANCE!!!.’ There seems to be much more of it apparent in life than we often see on Sydney stages. Hopefully, the concept that understatement is the key to theatrical truth will be overwhelmed by the exhilaration and honesty that ‘larger than life’ or ‘heightened realism’ can bring to theatre in the not too distant future.