Marte Dusseldorf slowly unravels in Benedict Andrews’ new play Gloria. Production photography by Brett Boardman.

Director and playwright Benedict Andrews theatrical tastes have always leaned towards the dramatic, the controversial, the provocative…True to form  Andrews’ new play is a powder keg of a play.

In a coup for the Griffin Theatre Company, one of Australia’s finest actresses Marte  Dusseldorp plays the leading/title role.  Gloria is a highly strung and  skilled actress with a  troubled personal life, exemplified by  a fractured family life,and a continuing battle with the booze.

Pressures  mount on her when she accepts the lead role in a new production which could well resurrect  her career but will challenge her to her core- she has to play the part of a real life survivor of a sadistic crime. It isn’t long into rehearsals that Gloria realises that the part will take her to the very edge of her sanity.

This is a dark, disturbing piece – Andrews, in his program note, describes GLORIA as a kind  of demented love song to the theatre and to actresses in particular – well directed by Griffin Theatre Company Artistic Director Lee Lewis. Dusseldorf gives a tour de force performance  as Gloria. She is well supported by a fine cast which includes a very impressive Chloe Bayliss, Kristy Best, Louis Fontaine , Huw Higginson, Pierce Wilcox and Meyne Wyatt.

Sophie Fletcher’s set manages to  successfully incorporate both domestic and theatre settings. There is  a  considerable use of audio-visual effects which, with my not so sharp eyesight, were not always so easy to distinguish.

Recommended, GLORIA is playing the Stables theatre, 10 Nimrod Street, Kings Cross until Saturday October 8.