Study Guide
2 – 24 July 2011, Dunstan Playhouse
Speaking in Tongues was first produced by the Griffin Theatre Company in 1996.
Images by Victoria Lamb and Shane Reid.
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Study Guide: Speaking in Tongues
by Alison Howard
© 2011
Table of Contents
Cast/Creative Team .......................................................................................................................... 4
Duration ............................................................................................................................................ 4
Playwright ......................................................................................................................................... 5
Andrew Bovell ............................................................................................................................... 5
Playwright’s note from the script Speaking in Tongues ............................................................... 5
Director ............................................................................................................................................. 6
Geordie Brookman........................................................................................................................ 6
From The Director ......................................................................................................................... 6
Actor Profiles .................................................................................................................................... 7
Terence Crawford ......................................................................................................................... 7
Lizzy Falkland ............................................................................................................................... 9
Chris Pitman ............................................................................................................................... 10
Leeanna Walsman ...................................................................................................................... 11
About the Play ................................................................................................................................ 12
Synopsis ..................................................................................................................................... 12
Plot.............................................................................................................................................. 13
Character Profiles ........................................................................................................................... 15
Themes ........................................................................................................................................... 18
Betrayal ....................................................................................................................................... 18
Love ............................................................................................................................................ 18
Loss ............................................................................................................................................ 19
Connection and Disconnection................................................................................................... 20
Set Design ...................................................................................................................................... 21
Victoria Lamb .............................................................................................................................. 21
The Designer’s Process .............................................................................................................. 22
Interesting Reading......................................................................................................................... 24
The Lantana Series ..................................................................................................................... 24
Lantana Plot ............................................................................................................................ 25
Article by Sharon Verghis............................................................................................................ 26
Overview of Australian Theatre History....................................................................................... 28
Other references to Speaking in Tongues .................................................................................. 28
Essay Questions ............................................................................................................................. 29
English Questions ....................................................................................................................... 29
Drama Questions ........................................................................................................................ 30
Design ......................................................................................................................................... 30
Performance ............................................................................................................................... 30
Immediate Reactions .................................................................................................................. 31
Design Roles ............................................................................................................................... 32
Further Resources .......................................................................................................................... 33
Useful Links ................................................................................................................................ 33
References...................................................................................................................................... 33
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Study Guide: Speaking in Tongues
by Alison Howard
© 2011
State Theatre Company of South Australia presents
Speaking in Tongues
By Andrew Bovell
2 – 24 July, Dunstan Playhouse
Cast/Creative Team
Terence Crawford ______________________________ Peter/Neil/John
Lizzy Falkland __________________________________Sonja/Valerie
Chris Pitman ___________________________________Leon/Nick
Leeanna Walsman _______________________________Jane/Sarah
Geordie Brookman _____________________________ Director
Victoria Lamb__________________________________ Designer
Geoff Cobham _________________________________ Lighting Designer
DJ TR!P________________________________________ Composer/Sound Designer
Adrienne & Andrew Gill, Southern Cross Tango_____ Choreographers
Kat Braun ______________________________________ Stage Manager
Vanitha Vythilingam _____________________________ Assistant Stage Manager
Duration
Approx: 125 minutes including interval
DWS performance followed by a 20 – 30 min Q&A session
Warning: contains strong language
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Study Guide: Speaking in Tongues
by Alison Howard
© 2011
Playwright
Andrew Bovell
Andrew Bovell grew up in rural Western Australia. He studied theatre at
the Victorian Collage of the Arts and lived and worked in Melbourne
collaborating with other writers including the playwright Hannie Rayson.
He currently lives on a rural property in an olive and wine growing district
of South Australia.
Andrew has received the Australian Writers Guild award for Best Stage
Play or Best Screenplay on nine occasions. His most recent play When The Rain Stops Falling
(co-production with State Theatre Company and Brink Productions) premiered at the Adelaide
Festival of the Arts in 2008 and was subsequently produced by Sydney Theatre Company,
Melbourne Theatre Company, the Almeida Theatre in London in 2009 and the Lincoln Centre in
New York in 2010. Other works for the stage include Holy Day (world premiere produced by State
Theatre Company, 2001), Who’s Afraid of the Working Class (1999), Scenes from a Separation
(1998) and Speaking in Tongues (1996) which was revived in the West End at the Duke of York’s
Theatre in 2009, the Roundabout Theatre in New York in 2001 and recently had a production at
Griffin Theatre Company in Sydney. Andrew is currently working on a co-commission with the
Steppenwolf Theatre Company and the Royal National Theatre in London. His most recent film
Blessed received the award for Best Screenplay at the San Sebastian Film Festival. Other feature
film credits include Edge of Darkness (2010), The Book of Revelation (2006), Lantana (2001), Head
On (1998) and Strictly Ballroom (1992). Andrew is the recipient of the Centenary Medal for his
contribution to the Arts and Society in Australia.
Playwright’s note from the script Speaking in Tongues
“Speaking in Tongues is about the right and wrong of emotional conduct. It’s about contracts
being broken between intimates while deep bonds are forged between strangers. It maps an
emotional landscape typified by a sense of disconnection and a shifting moral code. It’s about
people yearning for meaning and grabbing onto small moments of hope and humour to combat
an increasing sense of alienation. The play is written in two halves. Each half has a particular tone.
It has been written for four actors but there are nine characters. It’s in three parts. Each part is an
exploration of the relationships between four people. But they are not mutually exclusive. The
connections between the characters exist across the parts as well as within them. Characters
reappear, others disappear. Stories told in one part take on significance in another part. It’s driven
by a sense of mystery. The answers are there but they are elusive. The plot doesn’t always move
forward. It leaps sideways and backwards. It travels back to moments already seen but reveals
them from a different angle. I’m conscious of the play being structurally difficult. It doesn’t follow
the normal rules of playwriting. I’m worried that the audience will experience a degree of
frustration with it. But I have faith that audiences are seeking different narrative shapes and new
modes of dramatic exchange. The least I hope for is that they leave the theatre as haunted by
these people as I am and perhaps asking the same questions they do. How do I conduct myself in
this world? How do I survive it?”
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Study Guide: Speaking in Tongues
by Alison Howard
© 2011
Director
Geordie Brookman
Since graduating from Flinders University Drama Centre in 2001 Geordie
has directed work around Australia, the UK and Asia. Recent theatre
credits include romeo&juliet, The Dumb Waiter, Metro Street (world
premiere co-production with Arts Asia Pacific and Power Arts) Ghosts,
Attempts on her Life, Ruby Moon and Hot Fudge (State Theatre
Company), Spring Awakening – The Musical (Sydney Theatre Company),
Toy Symphony (Queensland Theatre Company and State Theatre Company), Knives in Hens
(Malthouse and State Theatre Company), Metro Street (Daegu International Musicals Festival –
Korea/Arts Asia Pacific and Power Arts), Baghdad Wedding (Belvoir), Tender (nowyesnow for
seasons at Hothouse, Griffin and Belvoir), 4.48 Psychosis (Brink Productions), Tiny Dynamite
(Griffin), Marathon, Morph, Disco Pigs and The Return (Fresh Track).
Geordie was the Associate Director at State Theatre Company from 2008 – 2010 and is currently
the co-Artistic Director of the performance group nowyesnow and a member of the Hothouse
Theatre Artistic Directorate. Geordie’s productions have received Helpmann, Greenroom, Sydney
Theatre and Adelaide Critics Circle awards and nominations.
From The Director
I write this at the start of our third week of unpicking Andrew Bovell’s theatrical Rubik’s cube of a
play. It’s been a delight to work on such a complex, intelligent and quietly innovative piece of
playwriting.
Navigating what Andrew refers to as the ‘rights and wrongs of emotional conduct’ and
investigating some of our recurrent human flaws has made for challenging work and a robust
rehearsal room. But aided by the work of a redoubtable cast, layer upon layer is being added to
the human interactions that make up the narrative. Opening up what has traditionally been a
chamber play to the more epic landscape of the Dunstan Playhouse has also been an invigorating
proposition for Victoria, Geoff, Tyson and me, as we’ve pursued ways to make the external and
internal world of the characters come together.
Over the course of the evening you will meet nine people played by four actors. Jane, Leon, Pete,
Sonja, Neil, Nick, Sarah, Valerie and John’s lives intersect with varying degrees of consequence
as we move between their domestic, suburban and dream worlds.
To me Speaking in Tongues resonates as a response to the ideas of isolation, our struggle to love
and our all too common inability to be happy with what we have. That Andrew provides no easy
answers delights me. The play’s sense of mystery and its insight into everyday human behaviour
have allowed it not only to endure but to continue to be enriched over the years.
I hope our 15th anniversary production of this wonderful Australian play stays with you well after
the lights go down.
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Study Guide: Speaking in Tongues
by Alison Howard
© 2011
Actor Profiles
Terence Crawford
Terence began his acting career in 1980 in his home city of Newcastle. A
NIDA graduate, Terence spent four wonderful years in Adelaide in the
mid-80s, then returned twenty years later to live here again.
Terence appeared in around 20 productions for State Theatre Company
in his ‘first phase’ Adelaide life, including Big and Little, Dreams in an
Empty City and Shepherd on the Rocks. Recently he has appeared in
Attempts on her Life, King Lear and romeo&juliet (State Theatre Company), Hypochondriac (Brink
Productions) and Blackbird (Flying Penguin Productions).
Terence is also a playwright, director and teacher of acting. He is Head of Acting at AC Arts. In
2005 Currency Press published Terence’s first book on acting, Trade Secrets, and later this year
will publish his second, Dimensions of Acting (available in all good bookshops!).
In September, Terence’s production of Richard III will play at AC Arts.
1. Could you describe the characters you play and the process you choose to go
through when understanding and developing your role(s)?
I play Pete, a man who goes close to having an affair, and whose wife actually does have an
affair. Then I play Neil, a man obsessed with an old lover – obsessed to the point where he writes
a series of weird letters to her, then suicides. Finally I play John, a man whose wife goes missing
one night, and who has to confess to a cop that – although he had nothing to do with his wife’s
disappearance, he feels guilty for it, and he has wished her harm.
A large part of the process is about empathy – just thinking about the quite common truths that
surround my life and remind me of the fictional situations. Those ‘reminders’ have no part of the
work on stage (contrary to popular mythology about ‘method’) but they are a support in preparing
for the work. The play is very much an observation of middle-age – the frustrations, the
entanglements that people can get into and sometimes out of – sometimes not, so one begins by
becoming attuned to those observations. So there’s a lot of, “I knew this couple once…” in the
rehearsal room.
Another huge part of the preparation is purely technical – respecting the highly ornate way that
the piece is written, with very precise sharing of lines among different characters.
2. Given that you play more than one role, is your process as an actor for this
production different from other productions?
It’s not uncommon to play more than one role. It means different things in different contexts. In
some plays (usually, in comedies) playing multiple roles means creating very distinctive shapes
and rhythms. In this piece though it is more subtle because: a) there are strong thematic links
between the characters that I play – the doubling is not just for convenience, it’s thematic; and b)
because the style is very life-like – so you kind of want the audience to accept that each role is
the actor – if the characterisations are too extreme, it could lead the audience just watching the
acting rather than having the play cleanly ‘delivered’ to them. And I think that delivery is the main
task.
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Study Guide: Speaking in Tongues
by Alison Howard
© 2011
3. What challenges have you faced during the rehearsal process and how have you
overcome them?
I’m writing this in week 2 of rehearsal, so I’m at a stage where every part of it seem enormously
challenging. Certainly, what feels like a distinctive challenge is that whenever I try to grasp at
something in a scene, it falls apart. I have to be patient. I just can’t push too hard. The play is
very elusive like that. It feels pretty fake and pretty crappy at the moment, but I just have to trust
to time and continued dedication and focus and relaxation and trust in my excellent director and
colleagues on stage.
4. What do you think audiences will enjoy about this production?
Firstly, I think audiences will enjoy the fact that this is an Australian play. I believe there is an
extra power and buzz in the air in the theatre when we’re seeing an Australian play. People will
respond to a good story intriguingly told. I think a lot of middle-aged people will squirm with
recognition at some points – which may not be entirely comfortable, but theatre shouldn’t always
be comfortable. I think younger people will enjoy kind of ‘spying on their parents’ – on their
parents’ generation, and will enjoy reflecting on how much wiser they are, and how much more
together their generation will be when they get to middle-age.
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Study Guide: Speaking in Tongues
by Alison Howard
© 2011
Lizzy Falkland
Lizzy has performed for State Theatre Company in God of Carnage, Toy
Symphony (co-production with Queensland Theatre Company),
Mnemonic, Attempts on her Life, Ruby Moon and House Among the
Stars. Other credits include Skip Miller’s Hit Songs, The Ecstatic Bible
(Brink Productions/The Wrestling School), 4.48 Psychosis, Killer Joe, The
Europeans, Blue Remembered Hills, Ursula, Roberto Zucco, A Dream
Play, The Dumb Waiter and Uncle Vanya (Brink Productions), Actors at
Work (Bell Shakespeare), Translations (Flying Penguin Productions), Wounds to the Face
(Blueprint) and Déjà vu (Istrapolitana Festival, Bratislava). Film credits include The Boys are Back,
Lure, Since the Accident, Dog Tale, Tales from the Sink and Frontiers of Utopia, and short films for
Australian Film Television and Radio School. Television credits include McLeod’s Daughters,
Naked, Heartbreak High, Home and Away, Echo Point and A Country Practice. Lizzy has also
worked regularly for Radio National’s PoeticA and drama programs. She is a graduate of Theatre
Nepean, University of Western Sydney.
1. Could you describe the characters you play and the process you choose to go
through when understanding and developing your role(s)?
I play two women. Sonja, a married working mother of middle age who is searching for something
more in life. I also play Valerie a clinical therapist/psychologist. Reading and rereading the play is
the first step in the process towards understanding and developing a character. Clues are given
through what other characters say about them and what they say about themselves. You get to
know their world view and what shapes them as people, which can then affect everything from
physicality (how they hold themselves and move to vocal qualities); are they positive, negative,
quick, slow etc?
2. Given that you play more than one role, is your process as an actor for this
production different from other productions?
Every production is unique and a process evolves with input from the director and other ensemble
members.
3. What challenges have you faced during the rehearsal process and how have you
overcome them?
There are wonderful challenges involving speaking in unison with other characters, interweaving
scenes that happen simultaneously. You’ve got to keep your own reality whilst being aware of
actors working in strange parallel universes.
4. What do you think audiences will enjoy about this production?
I think the audiences will be swept up in the multi-layered narrative of this piece. It’s a beautifully
complex study of the public and private faces of people. It’s a character driven and plot driven
jewel!
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Study Guide: Speaking in Tongues
by Alison Howard
© 2011
Chris Pitman
Chris has worked extensively in Australian theatre. Most recently he was
seen in Skip Miller’s Hit Songs for Brink Productions. For State Theatre
Company he has performed in Ghosts and Toy Symphony (coproduction with Queensland Theatre Company). Other productions
include Cloudstreet (national and international tour by Company B and
Black Swan Theatre), Love for Love, 4 Harbour, The Republic of Myopia,
Boy Gets Girl, Our Town (Sydney Theatre Company), La Ronde,
Rhinoceros, In Our Name, The Sapphires, Capricornia (Company B), Maralinga (Alphaville Pty Ltd),
A Number (Belvoir St Downstairs), Don’s Party (Sydney Theatre Company/Melbourne Theatre
Company), One Long Night in the Land of Nod (floogle) and Noir (Cabin Crew). Television credits
include Murder Call, Blue Heelers, Pozieres, All Saints, Outriders, Young Lions, Farscape, White
Collar Blue, Go Big!, Blue Water High and McLeod’s Daughters. Film credits include The Pillbara
Pearl, Flashdance and Last of the Mochicans.
1. Could you describe the characters you play and the process you choose to go
through when understanding and developing your role(s)?
I play Leon Zat in the first and third parts, and Nick Robson in the second. The first thing I do in an
attempt to understand the characters I play is read the script as many times as possible. At least
20 times. The more times I read it the more insight I find in the characters. Once I’m in rehearsal it
is simply an inquisitive process of trial and error to see what works for the character.
2. What challenges have you faced during the rehearsal process and how have you
overcome them?
It is a challenge splitting focus when playing multiple characters. It is always tempting to mark
each different character with distinct physical and vocal patterns. The difficult thing to do is let the
characters arrive out of the internal workings.
3. What do you think audiences will enjoy about this production?
I think audiences will see themselves in all of the characters in the play. I think the observations
the production makes about the minefield of complexity in our relationships will both entertain
and confront people.
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Study Guide: Speaking in Tongues
by Alison Howard
© 2011
Leeanna Walsman
This is Leeanna’s second show for State Theatre Company, having
previously appeared in Closer in 1999. With Sydney Theatre Company
she has appeared in Stockholm, Saturn’s Return (Main Stage & Wharf 2
LOUD seasons), The Shape of Things, Old Masters, La Dispute, The
Recruit, Attempts on her Life (The Directory) and Chasing the Dragon.
Other stage credits include Othello (Bell Shakespeare), Peribanez and
The Cosmonaut’s Last Message to the Girl He Once Loved in the Former Soviet Union (Company
B) and A Streetcar Named Desire (Queensland Theatre Company).
Film credits include Bitter and Twisted, $9.99, Soul Mates, One Perfect Day, Star Wars Episode IIAttack of the Clones, Looking for Alibrandi and Blackrock. Television credits include The Pacific,
The Starter Wife, The Informant, All Saints, Jessica, White Collar Blue, The Shark Net, Young
Lions, Farscape, Love is a Four Letter Word, Heartbreak High, Wildside, Murder Call, Big Sky,
Spellbinder II and Police Rescue. Her awards include a 2003 Silver Logie nomination for Most
Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for Jessica, 2004 IF Award nomination for Best Actress for
One Perfect Day and AFI Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for Bitter and Twisted.
1. Could you describe the characters you play and the process you choose to go
through when understanding and developing your role(s)?
I play Jane and then Sarah. As far as process goes, I look for clues within the script, define
timelines, look at information other characters provide and my characters actions.
2. Given that you play more than one role, is your process as an actor for this
production different from other productions?
Not really. All production processes are different depending on the ensemble, especially the
director.
3. What challenges have you faced during the rehearsal process and how have you
overcome them?
Synchonicity and time, overcome by trust and rehearsal.
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Study Guide: Speaking in Tongues
by Alison Howard
© 2011
About the Play
Synopsis
Andrew Bovell’s intriguing, seductive play is a mystery for grown ups. Laden with love, infidelity
and mistrust, Speaking in Tongues is the stage precursor to the highly successful film Lantana,
critically acclaimed, a huge popular success, and awarded numerous accolades and prizes.
A woman alone in a phone box on a back road, a guilt-ridden cop, a man alone on the beach
staring out to sea, a high heeled shoe being hurled into the bushes… Bovell weaves together
disparate images and flawed souls into a rich tapestry of fate, chance and consequence.
Both highly dramatic and wickedly funny, this is a strangely tender offering about making
mistakes and living with the consequences. The play delves into the murky territory of intimacy
and trust within relationships, revealing the darker sides of our emotional selves. Suggesting the
interweaving of our fates, Speaking in Tongues is a provoking comment on the strangled
communication that occurs between men and women.
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Study Guide: Speaking in Tongues
by Alison Howard
© 2011
Plot
Speaking in Tongues is a three part story focusing on the interwoven lives of nine people.
Part One
In the first part, we meet Pete, Leon, Sonja and Jane. Leon and Jane are in one room and Sonja
and Pete are in another. These four people have just come from a bar and are about to betray
their respective partners. We see each couple converse and discuss what could happen if they do
betray their partners. Eventually, Pete and Sonja back down and do not have an affair, but Leon
and Jane do cheat on their spouses.
We then transition to Sonja and Leon’s house as well as Jane and Pete’s house. The couple’s
confront one another about where they have been and Pete and Sonja end up confessing to Leon
and Jane that they were with another person, but did not have sex. Sonja tells Leon that it’s over.
The scene ends with the couples kissing and with everything seemingly resolved, but Sonja and
Pete realise that their spouses have cheated on them.
In the next scene, we see Pete and Leon at a bar. Leon tells Pete that his wife has left him and
that he has had an affair. Pete admits that he almost had an affair. Pete states that he won’t be
able to forgive his wife because he feels it would be an invitation for her to do it all over again.
Leon says that Pete should forgive his wife, despite what she has done.
We cut to another bar on the same night. Here we see Sonja on the dance floor dancing by
herself and Jane at a table having a drink. Sonja confronts Jane for staring and they begin talking
about why they are there. Jane tells Sonja that her husband has left her and Sonja tells Jane that
she has left her husband for the time being. They continue speaking about their problems and
Sonja discovers that Jane is the woman that her husband, Leon, cheated on her with.
The next scene takes place at Leon and Sonja’s house a few days later. Leon tells Sonja that he
has taken up jogging and that he had a strange experience one morning. While jogging, Leon ran
into another person and yelled at him for no reason. The man leaves and Leon goes to confront
him at the waterfront and the stranger breaks down crying and tells Leon about his problems. The
next morning Leon is jogging he sees the stranger’s shoes at the waterfront. The final scene in
part one takes place at Jane and Pete’s house. Pete tells Jane that he has been to the doctor to
see if his vasectomy can be reversed because he wants to have a child. Jane brushes this off and
tells Pete about what she saw the other night: while being up late, she heard their neighbour,
Nick, come home late and looked out the window to see him. As Nick got out of his car, he
grabbed a woman’s shoe, crossed the street and threw it into an empty lot. Jane went out to
confront Nick and he told her that it was a dog bone from the front lawn of his house. The
following day, Jane saw on the television that a woman was missing and she suspects Nick and
reports him to the police.
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Study Guide: Speaking in Tongues
by Alison Howard
© 2011
Part Two
Part two introduces us to Neil, Sarah, Valerie and Nick. The scene begins with Sarah dancing
alone, Neil at a table writing a letter, Nick in a police interview room and Valerie in a phone booth.
We cut to only Neil and Sarah, now in her therapist’s (Valerie) office, and their conversations. Neil
is writing a letter to a former lover, Sarah, telling her how much she hurt him. While this is going
on, Sarah describes to her therapist how she feels about Neil. These conversations are
intermingled with brief comments from Valerie, wondering why her husband hasn’t answered the
phone at home and about a dream she continues to have. Nick, Sarah and Neil also explain a
dream they have been constantly having. After all the details, we cut to Nick explaining what
happened the night the woman, Valerie, disappeared.
Part Three
Part three begins with John and Leon. Leon is there interviewing John about the night his wife
went missing. We then cut to Valerie and Sarah in Valerie’s office with Sarah talking about her
relationship with her new beau. After this, we are back with Leon and John and their conversation
leads to marriage and infidelity and we find out that Sarah’s new beau is John.
Each part of the play is connected with each other through characters and themes and produces
a story about love, trust, forgiveness and the human experience.
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Study Guide: Speaking in Tongues
by Alison Howard
© 2011
Character Profiles
Pete
Pete is married to Jane and does not cheat on her, despite not being entirely happy with their
marriage. He still has feelings for Jane and wants to raise a family together.
Jane
Jane betrays Pete with Leon. When her husband is gone, she observes her neighbour Nick throw
away a woman’s shoe. When a woman is reported missing, she suspects Nick and reports him to
the police.
Leon
Leon is a police officer who cheats on his wife, Sonja, with Jane. After this, he accidently meets
Pete and becomes very aware of the consequences of his actions. He is also the officer in charge
of the case of the disappearance of a woman in part three.
Sonja
Sonja is devastated by the fact that her husband, Leon, cheats on her. She meets Jane by
accident in a bar and realises Jane is the woman Leon was with.
Neil
Neil is the stranger that Leon meets and tells him his story of unrequited love for Sarah. He is still
in love with her and desperately tries to track her down after she leaves the country.
Sarah
Sarah tells her therapist, Valerie, about Neil and a letter that she has received from him. She also
tells her about her married lover, John.
Valerie
Valerie is Sarah’s psychologist. She does not like her client, since she seems to know about
Sarah's affair with her husband John. One evening she is driving home on a deserted road when
her car breaks down. After leaving several messages on the answering machine at home asking
John for help, she gets a lift from Nick. She becomes scared and panicky and gets out of the car
losing her shoe. After that incident she is reported missing
John
John is Valerie’s husband and is interviewed by Leon after her disappearance. Only at the end
does he reveal that he has been having an affair with Sarah and states his lack of feelings for
Valerie.
Nick
Nick is Jane and Pete’s neighbour, who also has marital problems. He picks up Valerie in order to
help as her car has broken down on a deserted road, but unintentionally scares her. He tries to
get rid of the shoe that she left in his car and throws it into a vacant block, but is seen by Jane
who reports him to police. Despite all this, his wife still believes his innocence.
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Study Guide: Speaking in Tongues
by Alison Howard
© 2011
Themes
Betrayal
Throughout the play, Bovell weaves the subject of betrayal into the very fabric of the text and the
world these characters inhabit. The texture of the overlapping and often synchronised dialogue
heightens this subject matter and enables raw emotion to seep through. Early on in part one; we
see simultaneously, Pete (married to Jane) and Sonja (married to Leon) in a bar together and their
respective partners, Leon and Jane, in another bar together. Each is considering breaking the
boundaries of their existing relationship by being unfaithful; committing adultery, and the frank
discussions between each pair reveal their confused state and the need to justify their actions:
PETE: I’m not asking anything of you that you don’t want to give.
LEON: It’s just that she never tells me.
JANE: I’m telling you. You’re handsome.
SONJA: I don’t know what I want to give. I don’t know what I can give / All right?
JANE: All right?
SONJA: Anyway, / why are we talking about them?
LEON: Why are we talking about them?
PETE/JANE: You tell me.
PETE/LEON: Maybe we feel guilty.
PETE: Maybe / we’re trying to justify our . . .
JANE: We’re trying to justify our / betrayal.
SONJA: Betrayal?
PETE: Yeah.
Love
Through both the structure of part two and the complex intertwined narrative, Bovell illustrates
how perception and misconception can cloud our view of love, being loved and being in love. At
the beginning of part two we see Neil read aloud a letter he’s writing to a past lover (Sarah) while
we simultaneously watch a scene where Sarah is talking with her therapist Valerie. This is
interspersed with a third scene where Valerie in a public phone box calls home and leaves
messages for her husband John as she finds herself stranded on a deserted road.
NEIL: I still miss you.
SARAH: He says that I wrote to him while I was in Europe. Well, I don’t remember that.
There could have been letters sent and things said. I was away. I was feeling lonely, so I
could have written to him. But I don’t remember making any promises.
NEIL: Why did you write those letters, Sarah?
SARAH: I don’t know . . .
NEIL: When I re-read them they remind me of something I had forgotten.
SARAH: I think I hurt this guy.
NEIL: Your letters reminded me of what it felt like to be loved. And I guess, Sarah, I’ve held
onto that.
SARAH: But I can’t believe he didn’t move on. I mean we’re big people now, we get hurt
and we move on.
NEIL: Because I’ve never been loved like that since. Not in the way you loved me.
Loss
A sense of loss permeates the play as the individual situations of each character are revealed
through encounters with partners and strangers. Intercut monologues reinforce the disconnected
aspect of the character’s lives and their sense of loss. In part one, two strangers, Jane and Sonja,
meet in a bar and quickly find themselves divulging their private thoughts and feelings about their
lives, and more specifically their sense of loss as they ponder life as middle aged women. Jane
mourns the loss of her dreams, aspirations and “wasted potential”. Now dealing with the fact that
her husband Pete has left her, she contemplates what her life could have been, “I had plans. As a
younger woman I had great plans.”
In contrast Sonja who has left her husband appears to have achieved a great deal in her life and
describes herself as “A woman of accomplishment. A woman at the height of her powers. Not her
beauty. She was once beautiful. I was once more beautiful. I’ve begun to age. But I feel alright
about that. I like the lines around my eyes. I like the shape of my stomach. I’m not sure if he does
though. I have two degrees. I have a wonderful job. I have my own money. I have two children.”
Jane’s response later in the scene reveals further her own deep sense of loss and
disappointment, particularly around the fact that she hasn’t had any children:
JANE: No. He’s fine. It’s me. I’m the miserable one. You see I’m middle aged too. But I
don’t have children. I don’t have a good job. I don’t have money of my own. And I don’t
like the lines around my eyes or the shape of my stomach. And I’m scared.
SONJA: What of.
JANE: Change.
Leon is also aware of his own feelings of loss since Sonja has left him and later in part one he
reveals to Sonja how his encounter with a stranger enabled him to realise that he didn’t want to
lose her, “ . . . I’m screaming at this guy, not because I’m angry with him, but because I think I’ve
lost you. I think some stupid indiscretion with a stranger has cost me the most important thing in
my life.”
Leon goes on to recount his second chance meeting with the same stranger wearing brogues,
“And he told me this story, about himself and this woman he once loved. They were going to get
married and he was the happiest guy in the world. But before they were married she went to
Europe for a short holiday. The idea was that they would be married when she got back . . . finally
the day arrived for her return . . . but she didn’t get off the plane . . . he tried to trace her but there
was nothing from her, just silence”. Through this story we learn about Neil (who we meet in part
two) who is consumed with a profound sense of loss which leads to what appears to be the only
way of ending the pain he has experienced since his girlfriend left him; suicide.
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Study Guide: Speaking in Tongues
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Connection and Disconnection
Throughout the play Bovell explores the complexity of relationships, presenting moments that
illuminate how disconnected we can be from those we are closest to and intimate with, whilst
demonstrating how, ironically, deep connections are made between complete strangers. In part
one Pete enters a bar in which Leon is drinking alone. Pete has pains in his chest and Leon
notices this and asks “Are you alright?” They go on to discuss whether or not Pete might be
experiencing a mild heart attack and Pete mentions an incident that just happened in the street
when a woman started screaming at him, but the conversation quickly turns to matters more
personal.
LEON: Are you waiting for someone or something?
PETE: No. I just thought I’d have a drink.
LEON: Ah.
PETE: I don’t usually drink by myself.
LEON: I’ve been known to.
PETE: Trouble at home. Taking refuge. You know how it is.
LEON: Yeah.
PETE: Are you married?
LEON: Just.
PETE: Well . . . then you understand.
LEON: I don’t understand anything about marriage.
PETE: Nor do I. Haven’t a clue. [beat.] Truth is I come home the other night and I go to
kiss my wife, oh shit sorry. Why am I telling you this?
LEON: It’s kind of easier to tell things to a stranger.
PETE shrugs.
LEON: There’s nothing at stake. You tell me what you want to tell me. I tell you what I want
to tell you. We both go away a little wiser. No loss. No shame.
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Study Guide: Speaking in Tongues
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Set Design
Victoria Lamb
For State Theatre Company Victoria has designed November,
Entertaining Mr Sloane, King Lear, Ghosts, Blue/Orange, Lion Pig Lion,
Waiting for Godot, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Metro Street for
its Adelaide and Korean seasons. Other designs include the opera
Undertow for the 2004 Adelaide Festival (which toured to Budapest and
Helsinki) and the concept design and art direction of the Boho Bar on
Unley Road. She was also production designer for the 2007 short film
Alma Mater High. In 2009 she designed One Long Night in the Land of Nod for Floogle at the Old
Fitzroy Theatre. In 2010 she was awarded the national inaugural Kristian Fredrikson Scholarship
for Design in the Performing Arts.
Other 2011 designs include The Business (Belvoir Street Theatre), And No More Shall We Part
(Griffin Theatre Company) and Loot (Sydney Theatre Company).
Design References:
Clockwise from top left:: 1.Edward Burtynsky, Shipbreaking #13, Chittagong, Bangladesh, 2000; 2 & 3. Screen shot
from the movie The Road by Joe Penhall, directed by John Hillcoat; 4. Image by American photographer Gregory
Crewdson
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Study Guide: Speaking in Tongues
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The Designer’s Process
1. What design elements did the Director, Geordie Brookman tell you he wanted for this
piece?
This is the third show I have done with Geordie. It’s always a very collaborative process; our first
decision was that this design would be very conceptual and hopefully have some sense of slightly
ethereal, dark beauty to it. We will generally agree on practical elements that we want to achieve,
in this case our goals included finding a space which could serve as a backdrop for all the
locations, keeping the individual settings simple and scene changes as quick as possible.
2. What were your influences in designing this piece?
My first influence always comes from the text. In this case it is a beautifully constructed Australian
work that we can easily identify with. It is full of visual ideas. For me the outstanding image was
that of people losing themselves, some deliberately, some not, in the vastness of the landscape. I
took the road as my dominating image. I loved the concept of the road leading off into the vast
landscape, that sense of infinity was something I really wanted to visually capture. To those ends I
looked at many landscape images, especially landscapes that seemed immense, dark and infinite.
I took images from post apocalyptic films like "The Road" as well as images that expressed the
suburban life like the photos of Gregory Crewdson.
3. This is a fairly complex play set in a variety of locations with overlapping action and
dialogue, what were the challenges in designing this piece?
It’s always interesting to do a work that covers multiple locations. Although most of the scenes in
this play are set in suburbia the overwhelming sense on the huge landscape looming in the in the
not-so-distant great beyond became the common setting in which all the urban scenes are
placed. Playing multiple locations on stage at the same time is challenging, we used our central
image road like a canvas that these smaller vignettes could be placed.
4. With 4 actors playing 9 characters, how have you approached costume?
Costume for this play has been interesting. Often when designing for specific characters much
attention will be given to details such as what sort of watch would they wear, how many rings. In
this case, it my task was to create very simple costumes that allowed the audience and actors to
fill in the details and nuances of each character.
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Study Guide: Speaking in Tongues
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Interesting Reading
The Lantana Series
This is a grouping of stage and radio plays and a film script which work with the same, or similar,
sets of characters and issues. They are the stage play, Whiskey on the Breath of the One You
Love (1992), the radio drama, Distant Lights from Dark Places (1994), the stage play, Speaking in
Tongues (1996), and the film script Lantana (2001).
Various themes weave their way through the different scripts - the man in the brogues, the
missing shoe, the therapy session, the infidelity, the car in the distance, the phone messages, the
empty road, the chance meetings in a bar, the woman screaming, the unwanted letters from an
old lover, the troubled relationship between the therapist and her husband, the cough, the missing
woman, a great sense of loss.
The pattern and repetition sets up inevitability the characters, almost in spite of themselves, work
their way towards the denouement we fear, but know is going to occur. There is a constant
refrain: “And I couldn’t get this guy out of my head” which in various forms weaves its way
through the plays. It is in these plays that we see Bovell develop his signature sense of pattern.
Lantana is a 2001 Australian film, directed by Ray Lawrence and featuring Anthony LaPaglia,
Kerry Armstrong, Geoffrey Rush and Barbara Hershey. It is based on the play Speaking in
Tongues by Andrew Bovell, which premiered at Sydney's Griffin Theatre Company. The film won
seven AFI Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (LaPaglia), Best Actress
(Armstrong) and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Lantana is set in suburban Sydney and focuses on the complex relationships between the
characters in the film. The central event of the film is the disappearance and death of a woman
whose body is shown at the start of the film, but whose identity is not revealed until later. The
film's name derives from the plant Lantana, a weed prevalent in suburban Sydney.
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Study Guide: Speaking in Tongues
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Lantana Plot
Leon (Anthony LaPaglia), a police officer, and his wife Sonja (Kerry Armstrong) attend Latin dance
classes. Jane (Rachael Blake), recently separated from her husband, takes the same classes and
is having an affair with Leon. Sonja's therapist Valerie (Barbara Hershey), is seen driving home late
at night. The next morning her husband, John, (Geoffrey Rush) calls the police to report her
missing and speaks with Leon. While at Valerie's office, Leon notes that his wife is a client and
picks up one of her interview tapes. Leon and Jane continue their affair until he explains that he is
still in love with his wife, this upsets her and she ends their relationship.
Leon arrives home late but Sonja is not asleep: he asks her about her therapy sessions with
Valerie, they discuss their relationship and he tells her of his affair which had just ended. Sonja is
very upset and feels betrayed. Leon sleeps on the couch, in the morning Sonja says he'll be lucky
if she returns home that night. Leon goes to John's house to interrogate him as the main suspect
in his wife's disappearance. Leon starts a discussion about love, marriage and having affairs but
lies to John when asked if he ever had an affair. Leon goes to Jane's house on police duty,
because she has placed a call. Her neighbours are Paula (Daniella Farinacci), a nurse, and Nik
(Vince Colosimo). Jane was up late one night, she noticed Nik arrive home and throw something
in the bushes across the road from her house: later she finds it is a woman's shoe. Leon and his
partner arrive at Jane's and declare that the shoe was Valerie's.
The police take Nik to the station and he leaves his children with Jane. Police call Paula to come
in from her work. Neither Nik nor Paula knows that Jane made the police call. Although Paula
does not like Jane, she calls her to thank her for minding their children. The police interrogate Nik
but he refuses to answer questions about Valerie, repeatedly asking to see Paula. After seeing his
wife, Nik calms down and talks with Leon and his partner. Valerie had car trouble and Nik was
driving past; he agreed to give her a lift to her home but she panicked when he took a back road
short cut and left his truck. Valerie had run off leaving behind her shoe. Paula went to Jane's
house to get her children; Jane had enjoyed watching them and attempts to be nice to Paula who
tells her that Nik is innocent of Valerie's disappearance. Leon, his partner, Nik, and John go to the
place where Valerie jumped out of the truck. They find her body where she had accidentally fallen
down a ravine. Leon listens to the rest of the therapy tape where his wife had said that she still
loved him and he bursts into tears.
Leon returns home and sees his wife outside. The movie ends with Sonja and Leon dancing
together seductively. Leon, who at the beginning of the film finds dancing with his wife difficult,
now appears to be doing well. He looks Sonja directly in her eyes and dances just as she always
wanted. However Sonja is unable to return his desire and the fate of their marriage is left
inconclusive.
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Study Guide: Speaking in Tongues
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Article by Sharon Verghis
featuring Geordie Brookman and Tyson Hopprich (DJ TR!P)
published in The Australian
The recent Griffin production of Speaking in Tongues featured a dark, shimmering original
composition and sound design by Steve Francis. Did you see the Griffin production?
Geordie: I didn't see the Griffin production, I wasn't in Sydney at the right time and usually don't
see other productions of pieces I'm about to direct as it can be hard to get them out of your head.
Sam (Strong, Griffin AD) and I talked a bit last year about the piece when we were going through
the programming process. I've worked with Steve twice before though (on 'Baghdad Wedding'
and 'Spring Awakening') and can imagine the sort of aural depth and complexity he'd bring to a
piece like this.
If so, how does DJ Tripp¹s music for the STSA production compare how does it bring a different
mood and feel to the play, bringing out different aspects of the drama?
Geordie: Tyson (DJ TR!P) and I are mid way through our process at the moment, he's composing
a whole palate of sound before rehearsals start and will continue composing through rehearsals.
Bit by bit we'll edit everything into the right spot. We've been talking a lot about Andrew's (Bovell)
ability to make the seemingly mundane beautiful, painful and full of mystery all in the same
moment. These qualities will flow on into the sound design.
Why did you choose DJ Tripp to do the music?
Geordie: I'd worked with DJ TR!P before on my production of 'Ghosts' in 2008 after hearing his
work on Tanja Liedtke's 'Construct'. He has a particular talent for creating music and
soundscapes that make the internal external, that transport a play's emotional core from the page
and stage into the auditorium. Tyson is also very good at creating alongside the actors in the
rehearsal room, he's a real collaborator and has a great understanding of where music and sound
need to sit in relation to text.
What role does it play?
Geordie: Music and sound design are, for me, essential elements of the theatre. They can help
reinforce a production's focus, augment emotion, support the construction of tension and when
required they can provide a jolt, shock, or provocation to the audience.
Do you think, generally speaking, that music/sound design is playing a more vital role as a key
element in theatre, and if so, why?
Geordie: I think music and sound design are definitely playing a bigger role in contemporary
theatre. It's part of a wider cultural shift that embraces music and soundscape as a semi
permanent part of our lives. The rise of sound design also springs from the increasing crossover
of other mediums like dance, film and visual art into theatre.
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Study Guide: Speaking in Tongues
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Can you talk about your vision and sound for the score for the STSA production of Speaking in
Tongues?
DJ TR!P: I work pretty intuitively, so the bulk of the music will be written during rehearsal,
responding to each scene as the show is built. I will respond to different aspects of the show - the
characters, the emotional pathway, the surroundings. I am most experienced in composing for
dance and so find more inspiration from watching other artists work, rather than working off a
script. Geordie & I have had sound meetings, brainstorming ideas about where the score and
sound design might sit - sometimes complementing, sometimes supporting or creating a counter
point. As a musician I tune in mostly to the rhythms, tones and timbres of the work and try to
create something with a through-line, just as a writer does. Speaking In Tongues will feature a
delicate, melancholic & textured score. I imagine at this point that it will be a grainy & blurry blend
of voice, instrumental & purely electronic sound, with moments of foley, just out of ear shot. The
actors will have tiny microphones attached, which will allow greater flexibility for the score to
support the scenes, sometimes as a shimmering underscore and then, in moments, as a driving
wall of sound.
DJ TR!P during a set in New York
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Study Guide: Speaking in Tongues
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Overview of Australian Theatre History
European settlers brought Western traditions of theatre to Australia in the 1780s where Australian
theatre built on these traditions and developed over time. This early theatre consisted mostly of
English-style musical theatre, comedies and pantomimes.
The gold rushes of the 1850s saw a growth in population and with it a demand for theatre
entertainment. In the 1880s many theatres were built including The Princess Theatre in Melbourne
and Her Majesty’s Theatre in Sydney.
Australian Federation in 1901 brought a new sense of nationalism and people looked for ways to
express our unique Australian identity. Steele Rudd's landmark play, On Our Selection (1912),
which is still performed in Australia today, was one play that looked at the success, struggles and
the working lives of ordinary Australians.
The Great Depression hit Australian theatre hard with live shows being taxed and competing with
cinema and radio entertainment.
Another play, Summer of the Seventeenth Doll by Ray Lawler, quickly gained acclaim and
popularity for its uniquely Australian voice and universal themes.
In 1968, the Australian government established The Australian Council for the Arts which became
The Australia Council, who have helped support Australian theatre by establishing major state
theatre companies and providing arts funding.
In 1973 the Sydney Opera House opened and The Adelaide Festival Theatre opened in 1973/74.
By 2000, Australian theatre-goers could almost take for granted the array of dynamic performance
styles, theatre companies and venues available to entertain, delight and challenge them.
Other references to Speaking in Tongues
Glossolalia or speaking in tongues is the fluid vocalizing (or, less commonly, the writing) of
speech-like syllables, often as part of religious practice. The significance of Glossolalia has also
varied with time and place, with some considering it a part of a holy language. Others believe that
the vocalizations are meaningless, and cite hypnosis, mental illness, and social learning as
scientific explanations.
Glossolalia' is constructed from the Greek word γλωσσολαλία, itself a compound of the words
γλῶσσα (glossa), meaning "tongue" or "language" and λαλέω (laleō), "I speak, I talk, I prattle, I
make a sound". The Greek expression (in various forms) appears in the New Testament in the
books of Acts and 1 Corinthians.
'Speaking in tongues' has been used at least since the translation of the New Testament into
Middle English in the Wycliffe Bible in the 14th century. Frederic William Farrar first used the word
glossolalia in 1879.
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Study Guide: Speaking in Tongues
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Essay Questions
English Questions
1. Bovell talks about his debt to the film maker, Robert Altman in developing his style of
drama. Investigate Altman’s films and discuss what might be meant by the term multinarrative drama.
2. Why do you think Andrew Bovell called his play Speaking in Tongues?
3. Andrew Bovell didn’t see or read a play until he was 19 years old. If it isn’t from
reading and going to see plays when young, how else might a playwright develop their
ideas?
4. Bovell states that he is worried that the audience might become frustrated with the
structure of the story. Why do you think he chose to have such a complex storyline?
What are the advantages of having a plot that jumps around a lot? What are some
disadvantages?
5. Much of the dialogue in this play is delivered simultaneously. What effect is created by
having different characters say the exact same thing at the same time? Why do you
think Bovell chose to write the dialogue in this way?
6. In part three of the play, John informs Leon “I have always felt passionate about
Valerie. Passionate love and passionate loathing. The two aren’t all that different in the
end”. What does John mean by this and do you agree with him?
7. Which character did you most like or empathise with? What qualities make the
character attractive? Which character or characters do you feel Andrew Bovell wanted
the audience to like and / or empathise with the most? How did he accomplish making
that character/s likeable?
8. How does Andrew Bovell portray ‘the bond of marriage’ in Speaking in Tongues? What
do you think his intention is behind this portrayal?
9. Valerie is Sarah’s therapist and therefore, their relationship is purely professional.
Describe the dynamic that exists between Sarah and Valerie.
10. In the second scene of part one Sonja and Pete decide to tell their respective partners
that they nearly betrayed them. Was this decision sparked by guilt or fear of their
betrayal being discovered? Why do you think they chose to do this given the potential
repercussions?
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Study Guide: Speaking in Tongues
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Drama Questions
1. Do you think that keeping the plot as a straightforward episodic play would be more
effective? Or do you think that the complex structure worked?
2. Did you have any difficulties watching and listening to the play? Did you get confused at
any time? Do you think having the overlapping dialogue was effective?
3. How would you describe the performance style of this production? Is this a naturalistic or
non-naturalistic piece?
4. The film Lantana is based on the play Speaking in Tongues. Compare it to the stage
version and discuss the ways in which the film either succeeds or fails to represent your
experience of the play. Decide to what extent the differences between the two versions
are related to the differences between stage and film.
5. What choices did the designer make and how did you feel these added to the production.
6. What is the purpose of the dream sequence in part two? Consider this both dramatically
and stylistically. How does this add to our understanding of the characters?
Design
The design for Speaking in Tongues suggests a road leading off into the distance, a road we can’t
see the end of; a poetic image of infinity reflecting the world inhabited by the characters in the
play.
Re-design the set for this production. Think about how the space needs to accommodate
moments in different places simultaneously, yet allow the audience to view a cohesive picture of
these overlapping stories
Performance
In Speaking in Tongues, Bovell makes use of intercut monologues to reinforce the disconnected
aspect of the character’s lives and their sense of loss. This is echoed in the unanswered phone
and the series of messages. Using either of these devises, write a short scene about
miscommunication.
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Study Guide: Speaking in Tongues
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Immediate Reactions
After viewing the play set aside time for class discussion. Consider the following aspects of the
play, and record them into your journal.
Production Elements
Performance Elements
Strengths
Impact on
Audience
Weaknesses
Impact on
Audience
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Study Guide: Speaking in Tongues
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Design Roles
For each of the following design roles, explain using three specific examples, how each role
added meaning to the action or your understanding of context, theme or other aesthetic
understandings of the drama event.
Design Role
Technique
What did this contribute to the performance?
One
Two
Lighting
Three
One
Two
Set Design
Three
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Study Guide: Speaking in Tongues
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Further Resources
Useful Links
•
•
•
•
http://www.snodger.com.au/whatiwrote/notes/WIWNotesBovell.pdf
http://www.whatiwrote.com.au/
http://www.playbill.com/features/article/66672-STAGE-TO-SCREEN-Speaking-withAndrew-Bovell
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/arts/reverberations/story-e6frg8n61225991122397
*Web links were active when preparing this guide
References
•
•
•
•
Bovell, Andrew. Speaking in Tongues, 2002
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lantana_%28film%29
http://www.milwaukeerep.com/education/documents/speaking_in_tongues.pdf
http://www.viennatheatreproject.at/education/teachermaterial/Teacher_Material__SPEAKING_IN_TONGUES.pdf
•
http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/theatre/
•
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossolalia
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Study Guide: Speaking in Tongues
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