By Bess Wohl. New Theatre, Newtown, NSW. Director Sahn Millington. 26 May – 20 Jun, 2026
Reviewed : 31 May, 2026
Continuity is a play about making a film. Both forms of theatre, but both different. “Holding those two forms together,” says director Sahn Millington, “has been one of the biggest challenges of working on this piece.” A film set on a stage. Actors playing actors. In a film about climate change – complete with an on-site writer and consultant scientist. What could possibly be difficult?
Well, the set for instance. The ‘scene’ in the movie is set in the arctic, but to get that icy, arctic light it’s being filmed in the desert. No trouble for set designer David Marshall-Martin! He’s ‘planted’ two saguaro cacti and wisps of salt grass in front of a high, white cyclorama to suggest the desert. In front of that he (and the film crew) have erected their set! Another curved filmy white curtain, some ice-covered ‘rocks’, some fake snow and a machine ready to blow faint flurries of snow.
And … Action!
The play opens with the first ‘take’ … and of course something isn’t right. So begins a series of re-takes – many related to the lead actress and all causing consternation to the director Maria, the writer David, the two supporting cast member and the rest of the film crew. Each re-take is slightly different based on the result of discussion, argument sand redirections – just like the continuing scientific data about climate change.
Actors playing actors can be fun, but this play requires three of the actors to play actors playing characters in a film. Jessica Joseph-McDermott plays Eve, the posing petulant prima donna who plays Nicole, the climate change activist. Andrew McLaughlin plays Jake who plays George, the realist activist, and Sarah Nader plays Lily, who plays scientist Dr Anna Gerber.
That’s what Millington meant by holding the two forms together.
Without that balance the play could turn into a farce, and that would obsfucate the underlying themes of the play. The difficulty of making a film that covers the scientific seriousness of climate change. The fact that the science could be out of date before the film is edited. The fact that multiple takes of the same scene can be completely different.
All of which Millington achieves whilst still finding the humour and satire – and continuity! – in Bess Wohl’s cleverly devised script. The rhythm of the play is set by the ‘acting’ in the re-takes and the arguments and discussions in between them. Here Michelle Robin Anderson as the Director, Maria attempts to call the shots in order get the ‘shoot’ done before losing the light and her PA, played by Julie Quinn gallantly runs between looking after the whims of the leading lady and repairing a rock that keeps being broken.
David Caxton, the script writer, vacillates between approving cuts or adding a speech cut previously, and his past relationship with Maria and a new affair with Nicole. Noah Raynor as the AD and Sora Wakaki as the camera operator and crew member watch and follow and keep the show moving.
One of the most serious and humorous scenes centres on Susan Jordan as Laurie the climate scientist trying desperately to explain the variables in global climate change, getting the science correct. Ward plays the beleaguered ‘don’ beautifully, delivering her speech with increasing but very controlled despair to a respectful but ‘pained’ cast and crew. Their changing reactions to her themes – a raised eyebrow, a tip of the chin, an eyeroll, a slight shift of a shoulder – all skilfully timed and controlled add gentle satire to the urgency of Jordan’s delivery.
The play doesn’t preach about climate change, what it does is try to make people care in the way that theatre does – by telling a story in a way that informs and, hopefully, guides people to believe and care.
Also published in Stage Whispers magazine