The play’s title refers to the Lebanese city of Byblos, one of the oldest cities in the world. The main character, Adam, is a celebrated son of Byblos, in that Elazzi has written a play about him. There is no family surname, he is just the son of…
The subject of SON OF BYBLOS is how at the peak of our youth we can live life on our terms and radically, but as we grow older we are much more emendable to compromise, as we long for an easier, more conventional life.
The back story to Elazzi’s play is the very symbiotic relationship between Adam and his cousin Claire. SON OF BYBLOS starts with a dramatic flourish. Claire comes back from overseas with the news that she has fallen in love and is going to get married. Adam is in disbelief, one of the main aspects of their friendship was that they were both very proud of their queer sexuality. Completely ‘out of the blue’ Claire has gone straight and is going to be leaving her cousin. What is Adam going to do now that Claire is ‘drifting away’ from him.
With SON OF BYBLOS has written a powerful family drama that contains some comedic elements.. Director Anna Jahjah directs the action well and builds the action to its cathartic climax.
There was only one setting for the play and that was the family living room, featuring a fridge, a dining table and chairs, a sofa and a draped lampshade.
With his play Elazzi has created some good roles for the actors to play.
Adam is a good dramatic role and Mansoor Noor performs it well. Noor conveys his character’s essential narcissism.
The play’s other strong dramatic role is that of the deeply conflicted Claire, poignantly played by Kate Bookallil.
The roles of Adam’s overwrought parents, Carol and John, lend themelves to dark comedy, and are well played by Deborah Galanos and Simon Elrahi.
The mother and son relationship is affectionally explored and well contrasted with the niggly, gruff, tense relationship between father and son.
Violette Ayad gives a heartfelt performance as Angela, Adam’s old girlfriend whom he cruelly brings back into his life when it suits him.
There is a missing character in the play, that of Paul, Claire’s fiancee. I can understand that he is left out of the play, this often happens in drama, but I wouid have liked some reference to what kind of character he was and what drew Claire towards him.
An engagement party takes place during the play, albeit off stage, and yet there is no reference to him being there, nor the dramatic/ comic possibilities that his appearance might have had.
Recomended, Brave New Word Theatre Company’s production of James Elazzi’s SON OF BYBLOS directed by Anna Jahjah. and jointly produced by Joy Minter and Luke Holmes, is playing Belvoir’s 25A Downstairs Theatre until 21st May.
Production photography by David Hooley