Pretence

Pretence is the recipient of 11 theatrical awards and accolades around Australia. This season will be the production's Melbourne City premiere. Lawson-Smith has written a cracker of a comedy, full of one-liners and observational comedy that will appeal to fans of reality TV, theatre and everyone who has ‘one of those acting friends’.

Pretence is set in an audition room, where two actresses have come to audition for a brand-new play. They find themselves alone in the theatre, both going for the same role, and neither of them with the same information.

Suspicions are high. They both believe they've got what it takes to make it in the world of the theatre and are going to stop at nothing to ensure success. Nothing.

Pretence was the brain child of Lawson-Smith, a Victorian College of the Arts Masters of Writing graduate, written the year after Sanderson graduated from the Melbourne Howard Fine Acting Program. In the name of a good laugh, they have shamelessly exploited their own—and their friends’—lives, for Pretence.

Aimee Sanderson & Hayley Lawson-Smith met 10 years ago on a community theatre stage, playing a mannequin and sales girl respectively, which is how they assume all good comedy duos start.