Son of Byblos (Asamina Theatre Company), at Meat Market Stables - 1 hour 40 minutes, without interval

Written by James Elazzi, the two protagonists at the heart of Son of Byblos – Lebanese Australian cousins – are living a lie.

They are not comfortable in their own skin and are afraid to share the truth with their nearest and dearest.

Photos by Prince Singh

Claire (Anna Khaleeda Rasheed), 26, has just returned from Lebanon with big news that she reveals to her 25-year-old cousin, Adam (Amir Yacoub).

They are close confidantes, but he is shellshocked.

Claire is getting married to Paul (who we never meet), an engineer and villager that she met over there. He speaks only broken English and she barely knows him.

The engagement party is in two months.

Adam, who is a first generation Lebanese Australian, immediately calls her out, telling her that she is making a mistake and won’t attend the celebration.

The reason – Claire is a lesbian and had been in a four-year relationship with Kate (we don’t see her).

That ended a year ago, but Claire still has feelings for Kate.

Nevertheless, Claire insists marriage will set her free from religious, cultural and familial expectations.

Adam has his own issues.

He, too, is gay and gets off (both literally and metaphorically) on encounters with nameless men, but he can’t bring himself to tell his parents.

He is close to his mum, Carol (Marjan Mesbahi), who does everything for her family, but is about to do something just for herself, namely take up tango dancing.

Adam is constantly being ridden by his traditionalist father, John (Amir Rahimzadeh), for whom he doesn’t measure up.

John – from working class stock – wants Adam to be “a real man”.

When the play starts, Adam is employed at a greengrocer, but his father gets him an office job at a place that sells built in wardrobes.

John would like Adam to learn the business from the ground up, so he can forge a meaningful career.

But neither workplace is of great interest to Adam, whose passion is creating corporate websites, something his father dismisses as folly.

And, then, Adam takes a leaf out of Claire’s book.

Despite his clearly homosexual bent, he decides to get together again with his ex-girlfriend, Angela (Steffi Gil), who is studying dentistry.

Things between them didn’t end well (she was hurt) two years ago, so Angela – who is now in her last semester at university – is surprised to hear from him.

A particularly awkward, tense and acerbic dinner follows at Adam’s family home, one involving him, his parents, who don’t see eye to eye, Claire and Angela.

Things get particularly messy, sparks fly and home truths are revealed.

Will everyone come clean and what is the way forward for all?

Son of Byblos, which draws its title from a port city in Lebanon, is a potent examination of deeply entrenched beliefs that can subjugate one’s inner voice.

In this context, being true to oneself carries a heavy price.

Fear, shame and silence loom large.

Combining drama, humour and pathos, the actors inhabit their roles with zest.

All form distinct personalities and the interplay between them is often fraught.

They walk on eggshells and then lash out.

Amir Yacoub carries the heaviest load and does so with distinction, hiding a tortured soul as Adam.

As Carol, Marjan Mesbahi tries to be nonchalant and dismissive, but is only fooling herself.

Claire, as realised by Anna Khaleeda Rasheed, is loving, caring and tireless, but is emboldened at the family dinner, being the pivotal scene in the work.

I squirmed while watching, but still delighted in it, as – no doubt – was the writer’s intent.

Intolerance and a lack of understanding are the key traits Amir Rahimzadeh brings to the table as John.

As Angela, Steffi Gil wants to believe that Adam has grown, but in dramatic fashion comes to realise otherwise.

A simple set design – chairs, lightweight boxes and six Persian rugs – along with a few props, helps ensure that the transition between scenes is seamless.

That is aided by evocative music stings and the dimming of lights. Sound design is by Xaz, while lighting design is the domain of Sina Salsali.

Director Danny R. Arif has infused Son of Byblos with heart, spirit and fire.

I was sold, while questioning the realism of the convenient ending afforded the relationship between father and son.

That switch from what was, was too fast, if not implausible, and that comes down to the writing, which, overall, I admired.

Still, Son of Byblos remains an engaging, entertaining and largely true to life exploration of the ties that bind and the moral dilemmas that accompany these.

It continues Elazzi’s humanist writing, which tackles the values and expectations of Lebanese culture.

Let me finish with a bit of indulgence and editorialise.

If only the world would be a more tolerant place, just think of how much better off we would all be … because we are only as good as the sum of our parts.

One hundred minutes without interval, Son of Byblos is on at Meat Market Stables until 14^th September, 2025.