Reviewed January 9
James Elazzi is torn. He s keen to share the merry absurdities he finds in Australian-Lebanese culture, and equally keen that we care about his characters and their challenges. The two are far from irreconcilable, of course, but he is still acquiring the expertise required to flick the right switches at the right moments.
Fayssal Bazzi, Kristelle Zibara and Neveen Hanna in Queen Fatima.
Credit:Noni Carroll
Queen Fatima is closer than his 2020 play,
Lady Tabouli (also given its world premiere by the National Theatre of Parramatta). This is partly because here he s opted for making us laugh having clear primacy over making us care – and Elazzi can certainly write funny lines, although several that don t quite work escaped editing.