This new play arrives under the glare of considerable anticipation. It’s not exactly new, because there were a handful of previews last year before a sudden lockdown struck a few hours before the opening performance, and sank the entire season. Even prior to that came the beautiful, colourful promotional image, first seen two years ago when MTC’s 2021 program was announced. It features much-loved actor and emerging writer, Virginia Gay, who takes the title role in her adaptation of Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac.

Tuuli Narkle and Virginia Gay, Cyrano, Melbourne Theatre Company, 2022. Photo © Jeff Busby

Gay’s queer, female take on that frequently performed and adapted 1897 play has long been a tantalising prospect, increasingly loaded with goodwill because of its pandemic misfortune. For Melbourne, this Cyrano’s arrival on the stage is also another welcome sign that those dark days are behind us. Though as a critic I strive to keep expectations in check, the truth is I wanted to love it, so a little disappointment was almost inevitable. However, Gay’s fresh take on the classic is undoubtedly daring, clever and funny, and she delivers a brilliant...