Culture. Silence. Belonging. Love. Son of Byblos, written by James Elazzi and directed by Danny R Arif, has arrived in Melbourne after a sold-out Sydney season that earned wide critical acclaim. From its opening night at Meat Market Stables, the production showed why critics called it “a mighty piece of independent storytelling” and “a nuanced and powerful exploration of Lebanese family life.”
A Welcome Into the Story
What the Play Evokes
At its heart, Son of Byblos speaks to the quiet weight of expectation and the courage it takes to face truths long silenced. Elazzi’s writing captures the tension between love and fear, tradition and change, and the search for a freedom that often comes at great personal cost.
The play centres on Adam, a young man navigating family duty, cultural heritage and his own identity. His journey, at times tender and at times searing, holds a mirror to the contradictions many of us live with: loyalty that collides with individuality, humour that masks pain, and resilience that carries us through.
The script’s strength lies in its ability to evoke recognition, even if the specifics of Adam’s world are not our own. Sydney audiences praised the work for its honesty, with The Theatre Times noting its “tenderness and fierce subtlety,” and Modern Australian describing it as “a piece that will move, provoke and deeply see its audience.” Watching it in Melbourne, those words ring true.
Characters That Linger
Marjan Mesbahi, as Carol the mother, embodies the complexities of an immigrant matriarch who shoulders responsibility while quietly yearning for her own peace. Opposite her, Amir Rahimzadeh’s John gives weight to the role of a father wrestling with pride, disappointment, and love that struggles to find its language. Stefil Gil’s Angela deepens the portrait, showing how past loves shape present wounds.
Together, these characters don’t stand apart, they weave into a family portrait that is both intimate and recognisable, capturing the contradictions of closeness, conflict, and care.
Why You Should See It
What stays with you after Son of Byblos is not resolution, but resonance. The play doesn’t offer easy answers; instead, it opens a space to reflect on our own inheritances, the silences, the compromises, the small joys that sustain us.
Asamina Theatre Company’s rebrand from Thespian to Asamina, meaning “our names” in Arabic, feels fitting here. This is a production about names, about stories that deserve to be spoken, and about identities that cannot remain hidden. It’s theatre that challenges, connects and, above all, makes us feel.
Book Your Seat
Son of Byblos runs at Meat Market Stables, North Melbourne, until 14 September 2025.
Tickets: $35 Standard / $30 Concession
Book your tickets
Follow: @asaminatheatre
Disclaimer: Glamorazzi representative Meenakshi Chintalapati attended the opening night of Son of Byblos at Meat Market Stables, Melbourne – courtesy of Asamina Theatre Company via Helen Reizer, HRPR. As per Glamorazzi’s editorial policy, our reviews remain honest and independent
