Type – Comedic Satire
If you liked – Rhinestone Rex and Miss Monica; Money and Friends
The Social Ladder: An ensemble cast revels in the comedic twists and turns of David Williamson’s new social satire
Katie Norrie, the character played by Mandy Bishop in David Williamson’s new play The Social Ladder, is so desperate to get onto the board of the NSW Art Gallery Foundation that she rents a major Arthur Boyd painting for a week and pretends it is her new acquisition when the chair of the foundation and her husband come to dinner.
Katie is not really friends with the chair (played by Sarah Chadwick) or her husband (Andrew McFarlane). She has lured them to dinner on the pretext of seeing her new Boyd because the Mallorys are a wealthy power couple in the top tier of Sydney’s arts scene and Katie wants access to their world. However unbeknownst to Katie, it is the Mallorys who actually own the Arthur Boyd she has rented. Even though they don’t need the money, Charles Mallory can’t resist an income stream, however minor.
This is the comedic irony that launches the action and plays out at the dinner party which is the major set piece of the play. The Mallorys are not happy about accepting the dinner invitation but their daughter went to school with Katie’s and they’ve run out of excuses for saying no. The third couple who come to dinner are well down the income ladder from the other two couples, but Ben Gregory (Matt Minto) directed a successful Australian film some years back and this is the best cache Katie can muster. Ben’s unpretentious wife, Laura (Jo Downing), and Katie’s successful entrepreneur husband, Roger, (Johnny Nasser) complete the ensemble of six.
The Social Ladder is comedic turn rather than a dark satire, although there is still quite a bit of Williamson’s trademark bite in the lines. I found the dialogue was stronger than the plot points, some of which were a little cliched and obvious – like the dinner gone wrong leading to pizzas from Uber eats. The rented painting was a winning device, however, leading to some great reactions from the characters after the truth is finally revealed.
Director Janine Watson (Fly Girl, Colder Than Here, The Comedy of Errors) injects some very funny physical comedy into the production in the dancing and fighting scenes. Set & Costume Designer Veronique Benett also deserves a special mention for the pitch perfect lounge room set where most of the action takes place.
As the evening progresses all the characters are exposed in one way or another – both personally and professionally – but in keeping with the comedic tone of this work, there is quite a bit of rapprochement before the night is finished. The final lines from Katie suggest that the learnings from the evening may be short lived, and the theme of the play is surely human frailty in all its guises.
Is The Social Ladder Worth Seeing in Sydney?
Whilst The Social Ladder isn’t Williamson’s strongest piece of work, there are plenty of laughs and some pithy shots at those who put status before substance and authenticity.
Tickets and Practical Info for The Social Ladder in Sydney 🎟️
The Social Ladder – Ensemble Theatre, Sydney
VENUE: Ensemble Theatre
DATES: 23 January to 14 March 2026
Tickets: https://www.ensemble.com.au/shows/the-social-ladder/
CREATIVES
Playwright David Williamson AO
Director Janine Watson
Assistant Director Jules Billington
Set & Costume Designer Veronique Benett
Lighting Designer Matt Cox
Composer & Sound Designer Clare Hennessy
Stage Manager Lauren Tulloh
Assistant Stage Manager Bella Wellstead
Costume Supervisor Lily Mateljan
Choreographer & Cultural Consultant Sanjana Dhanakoti
CAST
Mandy Bishop
Sarah Chadwick
Jo Downing
Andrew McFarlane
Matt Minto
Johnny Nasser
Production Partners
THE SOCIAL LADDER was made possible by the following Production Partners:
- Graham Bradley AM & Charlene Bradley
- Elimo 2 Family Trust
- Dentons
