Cold Light

How far can a woman of vision go?

Sonia Todd stars as Edith Campbell Berry, the astonishing creation of one of Australia’s greatest novelists, in this delicious drama, involving life choices, and a celebration of the beauty of a life lived with passion and determination.

Fresh from international acclaim at the League of Nations and with handsome British diplomatic husband in tow, Edith returns to Australia to 1950s Canberra and is on her way to the top. Or is she? The League was after all a failure, her husband Ambrose is a secret cross dresser and her long lost brother Fred is a Communist agitator.  Maybe those ambitions of renewed diplomatic honour might take longer than she thinks to materialize. A lot longer.  While she waits for that call she finds herself caught up in the planning of the national capital and the dream it should be ‘a city like no other’.   And when she meets a man who could offer not only security but a readymade family  she consults the Book of Crossroads for an answer...

Directed by The Street's Artistic Director Caroline Stacey, Todd is joined by a stellar cast in this remarkable and highly entertaining adaptation by award-winning playwright Alana Valentine asking timely questions about Australia’s relationship to women of vision and people of difference.

Cold Light, based on book three of Frank Moorhouse’s Miles Franklin Award winning Edith Trilogy, will charm and provoke. Sexually flamboyant, culturally dynamic, politically and diplomatically engaged, Edith Campbell Berry, the astonishing creation of one of Australia’s greatest novelists, now comes to life on the Canberra stage.

'Edith is the sort of character with whom anyone would like to have dinner. She is clever, and principled, and foolish, and vain, and decisive, and fierce, and hopeless, and interested in shoes. We love her and that’s that.' ANNABEL CRABB

'Like Edith, Cold Light is dutiful, brooding, witty and salacious – and indefatigable. It’s Edith’s story but Australia’s too.'  THE SUN HERALD

Starring Sonia Todd as Edith Campbell Berry

Featuring Craig Alexander | Nick Byrne | Gerard Carroll | Tobias Cole | Kiki Skountzos

Direction  Caroline Stacey  | Set  Maria Raper | Costume  Imogen Keen  | Lighting  Linda Buck | Sound  Kimmo Vennonen | Movement  Zsuzsi Soboslay

We would like to thank the Nicholls Family- the Set Designs created by Maria Raper are based on the works created by Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin held at the National Library of Australia from “The Papers of Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Collection MS 9957”, collected by Eric Milton Nicholls.

Reviews:

The Canberra Times

City News

Australian Stage

Stage Whispers

ArtsHub