Sometimes conversations with artists unfold in rehearsal rooms, foyers, over the phone or during hurried coffees between tech runs. And sometimes they happen in a quieter way – through late‑night emails, thoughtful and precise, full of the kind of insight that only comes when someone has time to sit with a question.

My exchange with Eden Falk took the latter form, which feels strangely fitting for his latest show A Mirror, opening soon at Belvoir St Theatre — a sharp, metatheatrical comedy‑thriller by Sam Holcroft that dives into censorship, art, and the slippery mechanics of control.

Eden is one of those actors whose career quietly spans an impressive spectrum. He’s moved from Belvoir favourites like The Glass Menagerie and The Dog/The Cat, to screen work across Australian television, and into new writing and ensemble‑driven pieces that demand both precision and emotional agility.

Now he steps into A Mirror, a role that asks him to navigate multiple layers of performance at once – the character, the world, and the hidden machinery beneath it.

So without further ado, here’s Faith’s Top 5 with actor Eden Falk. Let’s get reflecting!

Q1. You’ve moved between Belvoir classics like Wild Duck and Glass Menagerie, and tightly wound pieces such as And Then There Were None. What muscles does A Mirror ask of you that feel new – especially in a play that’s darkly funny, politically charged, and constantly shifting its own reality?

It’s definitely a different kind of piece to anything I’ve done before – without giving too much away this play is incredibly layered – which means as performers we are thinking about more than what is happening for our “characters” at any given moment. It’s also tonally very diverse, it’s funny but it’s also deeply emotional at times. It lovingly skewers its characters – which has been a pretty big challenge to me when finding the nuances of my role.

My character (Bax) is at first a somewhat unlikable (but very recognisable) egotist. But as with any well‑crafted character we are also presented with a different side of him later in the piece. It’s been a fine balance bringing him to life whilst also finding some kind of vulnerability.

Q2. A Mirror is staged as an illegal performance disguised as a wedding, constantly shifting what’s “real” and what’s “allowed.” Without giving too much away – how do you, as a performer, navigate a piece that keeps pulling the rug out from under the audience?

Yeah it’s been a bit mind‑melting at times and there’s been a lot of deep thought and effort put into creating the world in which the play is set. Sam Holcroft (the playwright) is incredibly playful in the way that she unfolds her story and so for me it’s been about finding the balance of the stakes of the world but also the fun of performing the play itself. And as always it’s the audience which makes it all come together.

Q3. This ensemble brings together Yalin Ozucelik, Rose Riley and Faisal Hamza – all with very different instincts. Was there a moment in the room when someone else’s choice cracked something open for you?

Honestly they are all such talented and playful performers but there was definitely a moment in the show when Yalin pretended to be a tree which made me laugh a lot and realise that we can let our inner clowns out a little more.

Q4. What is distinctive about director Margaret Thanos’s approach in the rehearsal room – and how did she help the ensemble balance the humour, the danger, and the emotional undercurrent of the piece?

Margaret is extremely detailed in her approach, more than a lot of directors I’ve worked with. We spent a lot of time researching and developing a realistic world for this play to be set in, and to create the various layers of the show – and in many ways our attention to the high stakes and revolutionary nature of the world of the play let us discover the comedy and lightness that counteracts that beautifully. Margaret is a playful and generous guide and it’s been a joy to work with her.

Q5. A Mirror is designed to unsettle, provoke and seduce the audience all at once. What do you hope people walk out wrestling with, or feeling challenged by, after being pulled through the play’s shifting truths and hidden performances?

I think a powerful piece of art resonates long after the experience of the work and I hope that audiences walk out of this show with a lingering sense of the fact that we currently live in a free (ish) world but that we are always only a few steps away from the not‑so‑distant dystopia of the play. And those stories have more power than we might think.

BONUS question!  

What’s one question you were secretly hoping I’d ask – and what is your answer?

Well… I guess like many fathers, one topic I have no difficulty talking about is my daughter. And so if you were to ask what she’s like, I’d tell you that she’s funny as hell and also very strong‑willed – I wish she was old enough to see this show, as I think she’d love it.

A Mirror opens Feb 21 at Belvoir St Theatre (Upstairs Theatre).

For further details see: https://belvoir.com.au/

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