The play itself is a breezy, old-school comedy, but the biggest revelation of the night was the venue.
Somehow, despite living in Sydney for years, I’d never actually been to the Bondi Pavilion Theatre.
After seeing My Fair Lawyer, I was left wondering why I’d waited so long.
There’s something about watching theatre in a room this intimate that you just don’t get in a larger space.
You’re close enough to catch every glance, every tiny reaction and every awkward pause. At times it almost feels like you’re in the scene with them.
It’s a far cry from sitting in Row Z, watching actors the size of Lego people.
That intimacy is where Bondi Pavilion really shines.
Tony Laumberg’s script keeps things moving with plenty of quick-fire jokes and larger-than-life characters, but it’s the cast that really sells it.
Martin Portus fully commits to the wonderfully pompous Henry Crowley, chewing through every self-important line with obvious delight.
Deirdre Campbell is equally strong opposite him, delivering Margaret with dry wit, impeccable timing and just enough exasperation to keep every exchange crackling.
The standout for me, though, was Gantanter Singh Gill.
Most people will probably recognise him as the Servo Guy from Superwog, but seeing him on stage is a different experience altogether.
As the eccentric psychiatrist Dr Rahmish J. Punjab, he has an effortless sense of timing that makes almost every appearance feel like an event.
His performance is energetic without becoming cartoonish, and he finds laughs in places that feel genuinely earned.
The only thing I found myself questioning was the script’s reliance on cultural stereotypes around the character.
Comedy has always played in that space, and audiences will all draw the line differently.
I wasn’t entirely sure whether it was sending up stereotypes or simply leaning into them.
Either way, Gill’s performance rises well above the material, bringing warmth and intelligence to a character that could easily have become one-note.
Felicity Cribb rounds out the cast with an infectious energy that immediately wins the audience over.
She brings a freshness that helps keep the pace buoyant right through to the final curtain.
What stayed with me most wasn’t necessarily the story, though–it was how immediate everything felt.
Small theatres ask more of performers because there’s nowhere to hide, but they also give audiences something bigger venues can’t: connection.
You leave feeling like you’ve experienced something with the people around you, rather than simply watched it happen.
My Fair Lawyer has now wrapped its run, but if it was anything to go by, Bondi Pavilion Theatre has quietly become one of Sydney’s best places to catch local theatre.
I’ll definitely be back.
