Play review – “Honour” by Joanna Murray-Smith

Murray Smith and Hannie Rayson are writers with a particular Melbourne sensibility – I don’t think columnists, journalists and ideas are as big in other cities in Australia, particularly Sydney. They also seem to write about a lot of virile elder left-leaning men who leave a trail of destruction in their wake. This one’s about adultery and the middle classes where a 60 something man leaves his wife for a woman half his age. Some wonderful talk, plenty of cut and thrust and Murray Smith is a skilled writer. Not a lot of story, though – Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf didn’t have much either but that had a bit of freshness which is lacking here. It probably works better on stage with the extra power of Being There.