Robyn Archer's Whisper (Number 3 Melbourne 2002)

A Continuing Series of Sneak Peaks at the Festival

A small room, warm plain carpet, red brick walls,an open window looking onto fresh lime-green leaves at the top of a young tree. We are in the Shell Rehearsal Room at the Malthouse.

In the middle of the room a solid wooden table, a chair either side of the long end. In one chair chair sits Berlin writer and director Uwe Mengel, in his customary black pants and shirt and black and white Converse runners. In the other chair is a young woman who is being interrogated by Uwe. The tone of the interrogation is quiet, but over the hour I observe it, it rises and falls, is friendly and difficult by turns. At one moment there are tears from the young woman as she digs deeper into this everyday saga of betrayal and tragedy. The director says, 'it's such a sad story' and he has tears as well. This is LifeLine . This is FANTASTIC theatre . Many of you have now missed out on the chance to see the brilliant examples of intense small-audience works we have invited into the Festival this year: Recent Experiences (Canada), Mil Qininetos Metros sobre el Nivel de Jack (Argentina) and Interior Sites Project (Melbourne) are now sold out. But you will get the same feel from LifeLine – and I beg you not to miss it. Don't be put off by the fact that's it's FREE. It's as good as anything you'll pay top dollar for. And I now know I'll be there as often as I can. I'm hooked

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