In Sight of the Sea

A comedy-drama about two best mates determined to live a better life is the latest offering from Harbour Theatre.

Written by Lis Hoffmann and Phil Jeng Kane, In Sight of the Sea follows DJ Adam who, after a car crash, moves into a flash Cottesloe apartment with his friend Tobey.

But things become complicated when Tobey’s long-held object of affection Bree, Adam’s ex-girlfriend Sam – a lost girl who only occasionally breaks furniture – and a complex landlady are thrown into the mix.

Hoffmann, who also directs the play and has worked on scripts with Kane for many years, said the project had been supported and developed by the late Belinda Dunbar, former deputy general manager of His Majesty’s Theatre.

“It’s wonderful to see it go up at last,” she said. “After the WA Academy of Performing Arts students did a truncated version of the play in their 2021 showcase, Phil and I wanted to do another draft and add another character and layer to the story.

“We both have a background in story and script development for film – I worked for Screenwest and Phil worked for the Film and Television Institute in Fremantle around the same time, so we bring a similar story sense to the writing.

“Phil and I aim to be moving and funny in this play but, at the same time, it also deals with an incident of self-harm, which is definitely a fine line to tread.”

Writing and directing short films, documentaries and children’s television before moving into theatre, Hoffmann has been acting since 2011 with numerous companies including Garrick, Stirling, Old Mill, Harbour, Melville and KADS Theatres, ARENAarts and the Koorliny Arts Centre.

She has won numerous acting awards over the years, including for her own piece Crushed at the 2021 Short+Sweet festival where she took out the best script award and was nominated for runner-up best actress.

Another 2021 highlight for Hoffmann was appearing in the Fringe World production With Fire in Her Heart, the story of Edith Cowan, directed by WA Academy of Performing Arts head of directing Dr Gabrielle Metcalf.

With her latest play, In Sight of the Sea, Hoffmann said much of her inspiration came from her love of the ocean.

“I love the power and the beauty of it,” she said.

“I also love the concept of the sea as the waters of the human unconscious that can rise up and overwhelm everything.

“As the tagline of the play says: ‘Watch out for the undertow!’”