Ron Blair’s The Christian Brothers—a one-man play first performed in 1975—remains as powerful and thought-provoking as ever. This 2025 Adelaide Fringe production, starring Robert Cusenza and directed by the seasoned theatre veteran Peter Goers, delivers an intense and deeply moving theatrical experience.

Set in the 1950s, the play follows a Christian Brother who teaches an (imagined) classroom of boys, wielding his authority through strict discipline and religious fervor. A single chair on stage represents a rebellious student, whom the Brother repeatedly chastises—both verbally and physically—warning of eternal damnation for those who stray from his teachings. Cusenza, himself a former Christian Brothers College (CBC) student, delivers an astonishing performance, particularly in moments where the Brother passionately recounts his devotion to the order, only to later grapple with doubts about his faith. His portrayal captures the inner turmoil of a man torn between conviction and uncertainty.

This play holds personal significance for me. I first encountered it as a Year twelve student at CBC in 1981, when John Noble—now a Hollywood actor but then a Port Pirie-born performer who had played the role over two hundred times—brought it to our school. Seeing it again, more than four decades later, I was astonished by how much of it remained etched in my memory. Peter Goers, the director of this production, also staged The Christian Brothers at CBC in the 1980s and 1990s, reinforcing its enduring relevance.

What makes this play so compelling is its nuanced examination of the discipline that defined Christian Brothers’ schools at the time. While it does not vilify the order, it does shed light on the rigid and, at times, harsh methods used in the name of education and faith. In retrospect, I find it remarkable that my school was willing to expose us to a work that, while respectful, does not entirely present the order in a flattering light.

Reflecting on my lifelong passion for theatre, I realise that encountering this play at seventeen may have played a pivotal role in shaping my love for the art form. This latest production is just as remarkable as the one I saw in 1981, and I would eagerly watch it again in future Adelaide Fringe Festivals.