Quiet Faith
Release Date
2014 premiere, 2015 and 2018 tours
Written by
David Williams
“My hope is that the church expands its voice beyond moral issues, and becomes about what we’re for rather than what we’re against… And that is a project of broadening people’s theology.” Quiet Faith interviewee
From award-winning documentary theatre maker David Williams, comes a surprising journey into the world of the quietly, progressively faithful.
The place of Christian faith in Australian politics is often linked to conservatism and intolerance. Many members of the current Federal Government profess deep Christian beliefs and groups such as the Australian Christian Lobby loudly intervene in public policy debates.
Yet, new faith-based social movements such as Love Makes A Way actively campaign against government policies. The spectacle of religious leaders undertaking non-violent acts of civil disobedience, including prayer vigils in the offices of Christian politicians, has captured the imaginations of many. Other Christians work less publicly to separate church and hate in their own communities and congregations.
Quiet Faith has been generated from hours of interviews with Christian Australians, each of whom has also selected a personally significant song. Beautiful, immersive, full of musicality and heart, Quiet Faith is an antidote to despair about religion and politics, offering a portrait of the very different ways that faith can underpin civic life.
Quiet Faith blows no trumpets, breathes no hellfire and damnation, utters no sanctimony. It moved the lady I saw with tears rolling down her cheek during the communal singing of Amazing Grace. It aroused a sense of shared community during the audience’s uttering of the Lord’s Prayer. Devoid of pretension, the simple roleplay exposed the irrational, challenged the prejudicial, lauded love and compassion and left the audience to determine the nature of their faith and how it is manifest in their daily lives.
Peter Wilkins, The Canberra Times
David Williams’ latest work arose from the simple understanding that the type of Christianity we see on the news and engaged with politics – the Fred Niles of this world – might not be an accurate representation of all aspects of Australian Christianity. Quiet Faith seeks to give a voice to those other aspects and invites the audience to see and understand a much more complicated picture. It succeeds entirely. […] Everything from the design and lighting to the extremely up-close performance combines to give these voices an arresting power and weight. […] With a few simple, elegant choices the design team has created a space for meditation and intimate, thoughtful conversation. […] It’s like sitting inside a documentary and the effect is striking
Katherine Gale, ArtsHub
David Williams and Ashton Malcolm (2014-2015)
David Williams and Rose Maher (2018 tour)
- Writer, director & performer: David Williams
- Original Performer & collaborator: Ashton Malcolm
- Performer (2018 tour): Rose Maher
- Designer: Jonathon Oxlade
- Sound designer: Bob Scott
- Lighting designer: Chris Petridis
- Outside eye: Roz Hervey
- Technical Stage Manager (2018 tour): Caitlyn Livingston and Lyndon Buckley
- Stage manager and operation (Adelaide): Trevor Griffin
- Stage manager and operation (Albury/Wodonga): Ian Spence
- Stage manager and operation (Penrith): Suzie Franke
Quiet Faith was co-commissioned by Vitalstatistix and HotHouse Theatre and is supported by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.