Anthem
Anthem by Andrew Bovell, published by Currency Press in 2023, is a thought-provoking exploration of contemporary Australian society. This edition spans 127 pages and is presented in English. The narrative unfolds during a morning commute, where diverse characters—including a single mother, a young man, and an elderly couple—navigate their personal struggles and intersecting lives. As their stories collide, themes of control, yearning, and loneliness emerge, reflecting the complexities of human connection.
Readers will find a rich tapestry of experiences that highlight class dynamics and the politics of marginalization in Australia. The characters grapple with their identities and relationships against a backdrop of simmering conflict, prompting reflection on the nation’s past and future. Anthem invites contemplation on the question of collective identity, challenging the notion of a unified voice in a society marked by division. This edition serves as a significant contribution to the discourse on regional and cultural issues within literature and drama.
Official synopsis Publisher
‘It was the 7.57 on the Upfield line. The 8.02 on the Mernda line. The 6.22 on the Craigieburn … face to face, groin to bum, armpit to armpit. On the morning commute.’
A single mother struggles with her hyperactive child, a young man exerts control over his girlfriend, a cleaner is begged for help by her former boss, a convenience store worker returns for vengeance, three siblings thrash out racial and ideological battle lines, an elderly couple remember their own war of resistance. All the while busker Charity demands the passengers pay up, pay up.
As the stories intersect, the characters collide with each other and tear apart, or pull towards one another in yearning and loneliness. A simmering conflict keeps us on our toes, and the train moves us inexorably forwards.
Two decades after their seminal work, Who’s Afraid of the Working Class?,Andrew Bovell, Patricia Cornelius,Melissa Reeves, Christos Tsiolkasand Irine Velareunite for a new take on class and the politics of marginalisation. Anthem registers the pulse of the nation in a country unable to reconcile its past and uncertain of its future. With no easy answers, it asks the urgent question of who we are now — does Australia really sing with one voice?
‘An ambitious, energetic and remarkable play’ –The Guardian
‘Gripping and intoxicating’ –Time Out
‘Anthem is powerful and important theatre that should inspire reflection on how Australia became so polarised’ –The Age
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