Fame is such a funny thing these days. It seems that everyone wants it and will do anything for it. Once upon a time that people actually needed to have a talent to be recognised for greatness or success that eventually led to fame. Now day’s people seem desperate to achieve fame before they actually find their true calling… enter stage right Miri!

A Hoax has been written by awarding winning playwright Rick Viede who achieved recognition with his previous work Whore.

Miri (Shari Sebbens) meets with Anthony (Glenn Hazeldine) in a hotel room to discuss becoming Currah. Anthony has written a book under the alias of Currah and as obviously Anthony is a man and Currah is a young woman… and now Miri will take up the ultimate acting challenge. But can this mischievous young woman pull off the ultimate hoax?

Rick Viede has a unique writing style that has captured the current obsession people have with fame and how they will do anything… literally ANYTHING to achieve it, including pretending to be someone else.

It is interesting to think quite a few years ago we had heard of people pretending to be someone else in their quest to write a best selling book. But in more recent times it is quite common for someone to lie in the desire to get notoriety. Think Helen Demidenko a few years ago or more recently “Chick Chick Boom” Girl!

Lee Lewis has directed a play that presents the current obsession of Generation Y in a funny yet rather truthful fashion. What’s really remarkable is the performance of the actors on stage. It is a stellar production, engaging story with equally strong actors.

Shari Sebbens of The Sapphires fame plays Miri and Currah and all I can say is wow. She is funny, truthful and slightly self obsessed playing both roles and it is great to watch this development take place in front of you on the Griffin stage. Charles Allen as Tyrelle Parks is channelling Miss J from America’s Next Top Model and Andre Leon Talley with a dark side and slight obsession. Sally McKenzie as Ronnie Lowe is as you would expect any hard-assed agent, client obsessed and full of clichés. Now Glenn Hazeldine as Anthony Dooley is always good in anything he performs… he seems to be in so much this year and it is always so good!

Growing up in a modern world where people like Paris Hilton and Sooki embrace notoriety and fame for simply being themselves, it is understandable why some people would be slightly obsessed with achieving it even if it means pretending to be something you’re not. But it does raise the question of what happens when the truth is found out… do you continue with the lie using more lies to continue the deception, or simply tell the truth?

A Hoax is currently playing at Griffin Theatre.

Photo: Glenn Hazeldine and Shari Sebbens – by Brett Boardman.

Follow Matt D’Silva on Twitter @MattDSilva