Even those who had avoided learning anything beyond the premise of Daughter would have steeled themselves before attending its Australian premiere last night. A solo theatre piece written and starring Canadian Adam Lazarus, it’s billed as a deep dive into the male psyche, attracting epithets like “provocative”, “hardcore” and “incendiary” from the critics. The show’s producers have made themselves available after each performance, welcoming discussion about its themes, while Sydney Festival itself has restricted Daughter to those above 16, with content warnings on its site and staff reminding theatregoers at the door of its potentially confronting nature. First seen in Canada in 2016, it has toured consistently since its premiere, culminating in a run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe last August. It arrives here just as the Australian theatre industry begins to reckon with its own culture of sexual harassment and assault. It’s no surprise then if many audience members’ curiosity is tempered by wariness as they file into the theatre for Daughter.

Adam Lazarus in Daughter. Photo © Victor Frankowski

An intelligently crafted, 70-minute work, Daughter sees Lazarus’ character reflect on his attitudes and behaviour toward women, obvious emphasis given to the complex...