Sydney Reviews

The Farnsworth Invention may not be a tour de force of playwriting, but it is most certainly a tour de force of storytelling. The constantly changing scenery, the large cast size, the short scenes that sometimes border on montage – these are all the hallmarks of a screenplay that has been adapted for the stage and this is, of course, exactly what Aaron Sorkin has done, transforming his own screenplay into a work fit for the stage.

The play hinges on two men – David Sarnoff (Patrick Connolly), a Russian who flees to America and becomes one of its foremost communications moguls; and Philo T. Farnsworth (Damian Sommerlad), virtually untrained idiot savant in the field of science, who comes within a hair’s breadth (and several lawsuits) of being credited for the invention of television. It is history told from the point of view of the losers and the forgotten; a powerful reminder that memory is constructed on the dominant narrative, and beneath that is a seething morass of stories – some true, some maybe not so much – that might have been our history if a few little things went a little bit differently.

Aaron Sorkin has used a pseudo-Brechtian device in constructing this play – both Sarnoff and Farnsworth commentate on the action as it unfolds, narrating each others histories, frequently breaking the fourth wall and consequently reminding the audience that this play is based on real events. The operative phrase, however, is ‘based on’, because both characters openly admit that they are unreliable narrators – that some parts of the story have been simplified, some sanitised, some dramatised, and some altogether made up. This is not history as textbook but history as memory, history as story – openly biased and omitting things which do not fit the narrative structure.

The production is obviously carried by the actors playing Sarnoff and Farnsworth, and Patrick Connolly and Damian Sommerlad both do an outstanding job. Connolly’s portrayal of the complexity of Sarnoff – the seemingly heartless media mogul who believes that war can be ended by filming it and showing it to the world – is superlative. Sommerlad is excellent in reconciling the characters of Farnsworth-the-scientist and Farnsworth-the-narrator, and the onstage dynamic between he and Connolly is explosive.

The same compliments cannot be paid to the ensemble. While some members of the large cast did a decent job, others were noticeably poor – dropping in and out of both accents and character. As with any large group, the eye is naturally drawn to the weak link in the chain, and so the weak performances delivered in minor roles often disproportionately detracted from the story. I would also comment on the (over)use of music – while the music played during the show wasn’t necessarily bad, it did seem superfluous at best and distracting at worst.

That said, these are the only noticeable sour notes in what was otherwise a fine production. Sorkin is one of the outstanding storytellers of our time, and in Connolly and Sommerlad, New Theatre have found two actors to more than do his work justice.


New Theatre presents
The Farnsworth Invention
by Aaron Sorkin

Directed by Louise Fischer

Venue: New Theatre 542 King Street Newtown 2042
Dates: 13 July – 13 August 2011
Times: Wednesday – Saturday @ 8pm, Sunday @ 5pm
Tickets: $28 | $22 | $17 | $10
Bookings: 1300 306 776 | www.mca-tix.com.au
Visit: www.newtheatre.org.au