Type – Family Drama
If you liked – Orange Thrower, Is God Is
Purpose: A dysfunctional family’s legacy, prestige, and reputation is put to the test
The Jaspers are the very picture of Black Royalty. With Solomon being a renowned preacher and leader during the Civil Rights Movement, his name has been stamped into history. As the family gather to celebrate their matriarch’s belated birthday, things begin to break apart at the seams. Set in their Chicago home amidst an impenetrable snow storm, we witness a family going through great lengths to preserve their legacy, reputation and identity.
Branden Jacobs-Jenkins‘s 2025 Pulitzer Prize winning play Purpose, centres on its characters each going through their own personal crises and questioning the roles they play in this family unit. In his well-crafted script, he weaves the culturally specific context of modern American politics and the weight of Black excellence. After a successful Broadway season, the Australian production has assembled a strong team of creatives to showcase the recognisable themes of this story.
Through Zindzi Okenyo’s direction, the show sustains its comedic and serious moments while fleshing out the familial dynamics of each character. Jeremy Allen’s design of the Jasper’s living room is cosy and refined but austere – a perfect representation of its inhabitants. Kelsey Lee’s lighting feels intimate and heightens the secrecy in private scenes. While James Peter Brown’s minimalist sound design allows the tension to cut through the air when old wounds and triggers reappear.
The play is told through Nazareth ‘Naz’ Jasper (Tinashe Mangwana) as he recounts the events of the weekend. A nature photographer and youngest son, he finds comfort in solitude and living a secret life – giving us the freshest point of view to the family’s woes. Mangwana’s effortless delivery in both narrating and enacting in every scene drives the pacing of the play. In a story with challenging and heated dialogue, his thoughts give us a welcoming sense of levity.
Naz’s contentious relationship with his father, Solomon (played by the stellar Markus Hamilton) stems from his refusal to take up his family’s mantle as a pastor. A man grappling with his own idea of legacy through his family. His disappointment is extended to Junior, his eldest (Maurice Marvel Meredith), a politician convicted of a white-collar crime who has just been released from prison. Meredith portrays a compelling and complex obstacle in Junior as he lives under the shadow of his father’s successes, while also facing a strained marriage with his wife Morgan (Grave Bentley-Tsibuah), a defiant woman who gets caught up in his transgressions.
An empowering Black story…that showcases its touching and recognisable themes
The Jaspers aforementioned matriarch, Claudine, tirelessly holds down the fort. Played by Deni Gordon, her stubborn grace and charisma is the shield that protects her family. Aziza (Sisi Stringer), Jasper’s unexpected guest, brings in an outsider’s perspective into Naz’s life as his best friend. They harbour a secret that is bound to raise eyebrows.
A wonderful aspect of Jacobs-Jenkins’s script is its style of tone. By placing us in a setting where everything seems to be boiling to the surface, the Jaspers express themselves in a way that they never had before. In a preacher’s family, there are bound to be speeches. Watching each family member speaking their mind and telling it how it is becomes a cathartic experience for its audience.
As assumptions and manipulations are imposed, we still recognise the overt love they feel towards each other. From the beginning, we are hinted at the secrecies that loom over them. Framing them less as mysteries but still adding fuel to the fire of the tension building in the plot. The unravelling that occurs comes from the smaller conversations away from others. It morphs this story into a game of perception; essentially to, “Buckle up”.
Is Purpose Worth Seeing in Sydney?
This play is a timely piece of theatre that makes you ponder and question the themes of legacy. An empowering Black story that presents the many cultural and political nuances that showcases its touching and recognisable themes. Although some of the things it has to say can be quite challenging to hear, it does not break your attention.
Tickets and Practical Info for Purpose in Sydney 🎟️
Venue: Sydney Theatre Company, Wharf 1 Theatre
From 2 Feb to 22 March 202
Tickets: https://www.sydneytheatre.com.au/whats-on/productions/2026/purpose
CAST
Grace Bentley-Tsibuah – Morgan Jasper
Deni Gordon – Claudine Jasper
Markus Hamilton – Solomon Jasper
Tinashe Mangwana – Nazareth ‘Naz’ Jasper
Maurice Marvel Meredith – Solomon ‘Junior’ Jasper
Sisi Stringer – Aziza Houston
CREATIVES
Zindzi Okenyo – Director
Jeremy Allen – Designer
Kelsey Lee – Lighting Designer
James Peter Brown – Composer & Sound Designer
Diego Retamales – Fight Director
Rachel Finley – Dialect Coach
Charmian Gradwell – Voice & Text Director
Alexandra Moon – Production Manager
Marie Landy – Production Coordinator
Zoe Davis – Stage Manager
Maddie Craven – Assistant Stage Manager
Scott Fisher – Costume Coordinator
Lauren A. Proietti – Hair, Wig & Make-up Supervisor
Simone Edwards – Backstage Wardrobe Supervisor
Dallas Winspear – Drafting
Jesse Greig – Lighting Supervisor
Oscar de Gruchy – Lighting Operator
Jason Lowe – Props Supervisor
Boaz Shemesh – Set Construction Supervisor
Ron Theissen – Scenic Art Supervisor
Peter Hunt – Sound Supervisor
David Tongs – Staging Supervisor
Oscar Broadhead – Mechanist
Daniel Boud – Rehearsal Photographer
Zahara Jithoo – Script Assistant
Wanyika Mshila – Community Engagement Consultancy
