Old Fitzroy Theatre: One Long Night in the Land of Nod.

One Friday night I went for a laksa, beer and to see a play at the Old Fitzroy Theatre in Woolloomoolo. Just in case you are like me and make a complete fool out of yourself when you try and pronounce the suburb Woollooomoolo for the first time, it's wool-a-ma-loo.

The Old Fitzroy is a pub/theatre. The pub is quite characterful and more reminiscent of a traditional English pub than the more modern Aussie bars that you usually get. Worn, dark wood, small rooms and a creaky staircase. At the back of the pub there there is a Malaysian kitchen churning out laksas (a popular dish here in Sydney).

Behind the kitchen is a small intimate theatre that we calculated seats about one hundred guests. One Long Night in the Land of Nod was an intense and engaging hour long production that started with a gun shot bringing everyone to attention. The play only has two characters; brothers who are trying to reconcile their past, demons in the closest, their sick father and the inheritance form the family cattle station. The play was a perfect choice for a small pub theatre requiring only two actors, a small set and no costume changes. The intensity coming from the actors held your attention the entire time. We sat in the front row and were so close to the actors that we thought they might tread on our toes more than once.

Something a bit different and a very enjoyable evening. The acting and general standard of the production exceeded my expectations for a pub theatre.