Fest  
Rosie Anderson
1 August 2003

Two hours dedicated to the limits of spin may well win the timely concept of the week award. Van Badham has a reputation as Australia's most exciting but thoughtful young playwright, and on the strength of this showing, it is entirely deserved.

Human beings believe anything if they want to, especially if they're the liars. In the first of two plays we encounter two best friends who've been sleeping together for years. He refuses to acknowledge her as his girlfriend, so he doesn't have to admit she's special to him. She knows this is wrong, so she's marrying someone else, but still continues to screw him. Of course, they both love each other. Alastair Campbell would approve.

In the second, two PRs struggle to find a way to spin the rape and murder of orphans by GIs in Afghanistan. Their brilliant solution is to try and put the positive in pain. The shameful joy of watching them twist the words we take for granted and turning morality on its head is the best explanation of image management out there. Those children were given a beautiful gift. Alistair Campbell could have scripted it.

Nabokov's talented cast understand and manipulate Badham's slippery language perfectly. Maybe they could be loaned to the MoD.