Caryl Churchill’s Love and Information is famously fragmented — over 50 short scenes, barely titled, rarely connected — and this production leans into that disorientation. It’s a bold choice, and while the lack of narrative continuity frustrated me at times, there’s no denying the energy and inventiveness on display. I attended Opening Night on 31 May at Theatre Works.
Churchill, one of Britain’s most influential contemporary playwrights, is known for her experimental approach to form and language — and Love and Information (2012) is among her most structurally radical works.
Standout performances by Jane Edwina Seymour and Charlie Morris ground the more ephemeral vignettes, offering flashes of clarity and emotion amid the rapid-fire shifts in character, tone, and setting. The ensemble is strong overall, navigating Churchill’s fractured text with precision and a welcome touch of humour.
Visually, a rotating platform helps to provide a solution to the challenge of staging such a fast-moving piece. Each transition felt fluid, and the production’s musical score was particularly effective — underscoring the emotional undercurrents in a play that can sometimes feel abstract. In fact, the music served as something of an emotional throughline in place of a traditional narrative arc.
That said, the deliberately disjointed structure can make it difficult to stay engaged. Even with some familiarity with Churchill’s work, the constant shifting of scenes and characters demands close attention, and the emotional payoff can feel uneven.
Still, there are moments that resonate deeply — brief flashes of intimacy, confusion, curiosity, and connection. Love and Information doesn’t offer answers, but it does raise timely questions about how we process the noise of modern life, and how we reach for love in the static.
Recommended for those open to theatrical experimentation — and willing to find meaning in the gaps.
https://www.theatreworks.org.au/2025/love-and-information
DATES + TIMES
Thursday 29 May 7:30pm (PREVIEW)
Friday 30 May 7:30pm (PREVIEW)
Saturday 31 May 7:30pm (OPENING)
Tuesday 3 June 7:30pm
Wednesday 4 June 11:30am (OPEN CAPTIONED PERFORMANCE)
Wednesday 4 June 7:30pm
Thursday 5 June 11:30am (OPEN CAPTIONED PERFORMANCE)
Thursday 5 June 7:30pm
Friday 6 June 11:30am (OPEN CAPTIONED PERFORMANCE)
Friday 6 June 7:30pm
Saturday 7 June 7:30pm
Tuesday 10 June 7:30pm
Wednesday 11 June 11:30am (OPEN CAPTIONED PERFORMANCE)
Wednesday 11 June 7:30pm
Thursday 12 June 11:30am (OPEN CAPTIONED PERFORMANCE)
Thursday 12 June 7:30pm
Friday 13 June 7:30pm
Saturday 14 June 7:30pm
