Fair Play
Two young female athletes forge an unlikely friendship across class and cultural divides as they train for elite 800m track competitions, balancing on a knife edge between success and Failure.
Ann and Sophie trod very different paths into professional athletics, but their bond grows just as both their determination and vulnerability rise at pace. On the track, they are laser focused. Off it, they fizz about boys, sex, and their lofty Olympic dreams. As they navigate the uncertain world of women’s sport, it’s with a potent mix of personal rivalry, sexual awakening, and brutal training regimes.
At the height of their power, a catastrophic event puts their professional paths at risk. When lines are drawn and narratives are exposed, can their hard-earned friendship make it across the finishing line?
This Australian premiere is a fast and furious portrait of teenage athletes, their bodies, and the bewildering limits and expectations placed upon them. Intelligent and witty, Road’s play asks if those racing with the odds stacked against them can ever truly win.
Producing Company: Lost Thought | Playwright: Ella Road | Director & Producer: Emma Whitehead | Associate Director: Malek Domköc | Associate Producer: Osibi Akerejola | Choreographer: Cassidy McDermott Smith | Production Designer: Kate Beere | Video Designer: Aron Murray | Lighting Designer: EJ Zielinski | Sound Designers: Mitchell Brown & Osibi Akerejola | Stage Manager: Matilda Holton | Artistic Associate: Chemon Theys | Original Hero Photography: Becky Matthews | Season Photography: Robert Miniter | Publicist: Kate Gaul | Community Consultant: Margie McCumstie | Cast (of 2): Rachel Crossan, Elodie Westhoff
This listing is updated as cast/creatives are confirmed in the lead-up to the production, and if there are changes to the team.
Approximate Run Time: 100 minutes
Content Warnings: Loud noises and flashing lights, and the play examines themes of gender, race, and competition in women’s athletics, including sensitive subject matter relating to the experiences of female athletes and the pressures of elite sport, in addition to touching on topics including eating disorders, systemic racism, depression, and sex
