Persona

Elizabeth is an actress. One night, in the middle of Elektra, she falls silent. Nervous breakdown? Spiritual crisis? Illness? Attention seeking? No-one can say. She is sent to the seaside to recover. As Elizabeth’s silence continues, her nurse Alma begins to speak and Bergman’s signature themes kick into life: enigmatic acts of love and kindness, dangerous heights of obsession and need…

Persona pulls off a remarkable feat: it recreates the famous intimacy of the great Bergman’s finest film on a stage. This is a consummate theatrical close-up about our basic human need to be seen and known by another person.

Adena Jacobs’ astonishing re-imagining of Ingmar Bergman’s iconic film was performed to universal praise from critics and audiences alike in 2012.

Now, Malthouse Theatre rekindles the flame that lies at the heart of this quietly devastating work.

"EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE AND SMART DIRECTION ... THIS IS A WEIRD AND WONDERFUL THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE."

— The Age

"Breathtaking...stunning.....Fraught Outfit have achieved great, almost unfathomable success with Persona. A remarkable production."

— Cassie Tongue, Aussie Theatre

"Subtle, detailed and truthful, this collaboration transfers the mystery at the heart of Bergman’s film intact, while entirely remaking it. As I said, miraculous."

– Alison Croggon, Theatre Notes

"The film is considered one of last century’s greatest works of art and Fraught Outfit’s production doesn’t fall too far behind such an accolade in this new century. This is compelling and compulsory theatre."

– Lloyd Bradford Skye, Crikey 

"Persona is an act of majestic ambition, an affirmation of what great theatre can do." 

– Cameron Woodhead, Behind the Critical Curtain

★★★★★ - TIME OUT

★★★★ - ARTS HUB

9/10 - ELISSA BLAKE - SUN HERALD

Winner of 5 Green Room Awards:

Best Independent Production

Best Direction

Best Set Design

Best Lighting Design

Best Female Performer