Things I know to be true was first performed in Adelaide in May 2016 as a collaboration between Frantic Assembly and the State Theatre Company. It will feature from 2022 in the AQA GCSE exam Component 1: Understanding Drama, Study of a set text. Directors Geordie Brookman and Scott Graham state that Bovell is asking us, ‘What do the generations owe each other? Can the “sacrifice now, live later” ethos of our parents’ generation ever find a happy meeting point with the “live now” approach of the millennials? As well as examining the tension of the ties that bind us and how we must face our parents' imperfections as part of our own.’
The plot
The play follows the social and economic shift of the Australian working-class Price family and a range of life events that shake them. We begin with youngest daughter Rosie returning home to Australia after travelling in Europe and being robbed by a man she had fallen in love with. Her older sister Pip reveals that she is leaving her husband and two children to start again in Canada with a man she has met at work. Eldest child Mark discloses that he is transgender and is moving to Sydney to start a new life as Mia, while Mum Fran admits that she has been squirrelling money away for years as a get-out fund – she suggests to her husband, Bob that they should now spend the money on themselves. A final revelation is that younger son Ben has been skimming money at work, subsidising his lavish lifestyle, and is about to be caught. Among the turmoil, Fran is killed in a car crash before things can be put right and words can be taken back.
Scenes and acting
The play takes place over the course of a year and is divided into seasons with a clear beginning and ending. The scenes consist of monologues exploring the characters' main crises as well as duologues and ensemble scenes. From a set text perspective this play has a huge amount to offer students. The characters' monologues offer lots of opportunity for students to explore the ways in which they would play each role, and allow them really to engage with the subtext of the play. Of course, any Frantic Assembly performance will have a huge focus on physicality, and Things I know to be true does not disappoint. Students will be able to focus on the ensemble movement pieces, some of which are fast and energetic while others are mesmerizingly thoughtful, allowing students to consider the Frantic principles of the universe before the touch, the universe of the touch and the universe after the touch.
Design
The set for Things I know to be true features the suburban garden of the family home upstage as the backdrop, with a large feature being Bob's roses as well as general garden objects. Water is a big part of the performance, in the form of sprinklers and rain. A main feature of the garden set is a monochromatic tree that changes with the seasons.
Downstage is where items that make up the home setting can be slid in and out. The mechanics of the theatre are exposed for the audience to see and therefore become a part of the process of the work. From a set text perspective, students will be able to explore how they would create both the garden and the family home, as well as comment on how they will allow their audience to be part of their exploration.
The lighting is used to give a vastness to the stage and comprises a curved celling made up of 122 teardrop light bulbs which represent not only the bubble in which Bob exists but the romantic view he is has of the world and his family. Lighting designer Geoff Cobham states that ‘lighting will lead design’ and that having a less descriptive set design allowed him to use light to create a wide range of atmospheres in which the ‘actor is the brightest thing in the room.’ The design in the play was heavily influenced by American photographer Gregory Crewdson.
The costumes in the play are the sort of clothes ordinary people wear, for example Bob is dressed for gardening, Fran is a nurse so she is often in her uniform, Ben's costume will need to look expensive to show that he is living beyond his means.
Why choose this text?
There is so much in Things I know to be true for students to connect with. There are fascinating characters that allow deep consideration, as well as a fantastic range of design opportunities that will encourage students to explore and write about this text in great detail.
Links and resources:
Frantic Assembly have published a very engaging resource pack:
The sound for the play was created by Nils Frahms:
The play text is published by www.nickhernbooks.co.uk