There is a distinct, intoxicating magic to discovering a razor-sharp, chillingly prophetic revival in an intimate local space, and Sydney is incredibly fortunate to have venues like the historic Old Fitzroy Theatre—a charming, subterranean pocket where the audience is pulled so close to the stage that they can feel the moral atmosphere shift in real-time. This extreme physical proximity acts as the perfect, claustrophobic incubator for the tension of Martin Crimp’s psychological thriller, “Dealing with Clair”. First performed in 1988, Crimp’s play is heavily inspired by a haunting, real-world tragedy: the unsolved 1986 disappearance of London real estate agent Suzy Lamplugh, who vanished into thin air after leaving her office to show a house to a mysterious client. This unsettling historical anchor hangs like a heavy, cold fog over the entire production, transforming what could be a simple, sharp satire of a booming property market into an agonizingly tense, slow-burning exploration of vulnerability, predation, and systemic greed.
The narrative centers on Clair, played with exquisite nuance by Olivia Hall-Smith, an ambitious young estate agent who believes she can safely navigate the cutthroat, transactional waters of London’s real estate boom through sheer professional charm and quiet determination. Hall-Smith beautifully captures the delicate friction between Clair’s eager-to-please, professional armor and the profound, isolated vulnerability that slowly begins to leak through as the pressure mounts. As the transaction unfolds, we watch the veneer of polite, middle-class respectability slide away from homeowners Liz and Mike, portrayed with a delightful, superficial hypocrisy by Talia Benatar and Arkia Ashraf. Though they initially boast of their unwavering moral integrity—vowing to act honorably and avoid dirty gazumping tactics—their principles instantly dissolve when a mysterious cash buyer named James, played with a magnetically sinister composure by Daniel Fletcher, offers to outbid their original buyers. Fletcher’s performance is chillingly effective, wrapping predatory intentions in a smooth, highly articulate warmth that keeps the audience in a state of constant, low-humming anxiety.
What begins as a mundane, polite negotiation quickly spirals into an unsettling examination of how easily human empathy is traded for financial gain, as Clair’s sharpest instincts quietly scream that something is deeply wrong with James, yet her ambition and professional duty force her to ignore the warning signs. The supporting cast is uniformly brilliant in fleshing out this dark, morally compromised ecosystem. Jade Fuda is profoundly affecting as Anna, the young Italian nanny virtually imprisoned in a windowless room by her self-congratulating employers, showcasing a quiet, isolated parallel to Clair’s own entrapment. Meanwhile, Bayley Prendergast displays dazzling versatility, shifting seamlessly between a rugged, earthy tradesman and a slick, rival real estate agent. Ultimately, under the sharp direction of this production, the play builds a suffocating momentum that refuses to offer easy resolution or comfortable answers, leaving the audience to reckon with the horrifying realization of what—and who—we are willing to sacrifice in the pursuit of personal security and material success. It is a masterful, deeply unsettling theatrical experience that lingers in the mind long after the basement lights of the Old Fitzroy have faded to black.
To book tickets to Dealing with Clair , please visit https://www.oldfitztheatre.com.au/dealing-with-clair.
Photographer: Robert Miniter
