What would happen if you were mistaken (by a hot guy, no less) for your recently deceased twin sister in the local Woollies, but fail to correct the mistake?
How do you navigate having to take guardianship of your young, orphaned nephew when you had other life plans?
Can we ever, even as adults, fully break free from the (often stifling) parent-child relationships we grew up with as children?
And perhaps most importantly: Should you EVER let a young child win at Uno if you have the power to beat them?
These are just some of the questions raised in Draw Two; a compellingly powerful and comedic one-woman show centred around Riley, a young 20-something year old woman dealing with some very big life challenges.
Riley has returned to her hometown in the aftermath of the death of her twin sister, Mia, to pack up her sister’s house, and take her now orphaned son, Lucas, back to Melbourne to live with her and her partner.
In this process, Riley has to deal with her stifling and often disapproving mother.
And there is the fateful encounter with a childhood friend of Mia’s (Kieren), who mistakes Riley for Mia…
Georgia McGinness takes the helm in this one-woman show, performing a poignant, often hilarious, and equally gut-wrenching narrative through the eyes of Riley.
Georgia masterfully depicts all of the characters coming in and out of Riley’s life, giving enchanting and moving performances.
This show really pulls at the heartstrings, exploring some big themes of navigating grief, family dynamics, personal relationships, and finding the small joys in times of darkness.
Georgia’s performances were honest and mesmerising; seamlessly transitioning between characters, and giving a real sense of relatable, Australian life, family dynamics, and the reality of the difficulties that life can unexpectedly throw at you.
While the set itself is quite simple, throughout the show, beautifully crafted animations were projected at various stages to give more life and depth to the narrative.
A full house and a standing ovation are two hallmarks of a crowd-pleasing show; and Draw Two was extremely well-deserved to receive both of these on the opening night of its run at Theatreworks in Melbourne this September.
Written by Meg McDonald and directed by Lauren Bennett, Draw Two is a perfect example of the sheer talent Australia is currently producing in the theatre space, and the entire team should be congratulated on a spectacular show.
This is not one to miss, with performances until the 27th of September at The Explosives Factory, Theatreworks, Melbourne.
Playwright & Co-Producer: Meg McDonald
Director: Lauren Bennett
Composer, Sound, & Voice Coach: Clare Hennessy
Set & Costume Designer: Ishan Vivekanantham
Visual Art Designer: Lauren Goodfellow
Lighting Designer & Production/Stage Manager: Sam Gray
Co-Producer: Ruby Busuttil
Cast: Georgia McGinness
To book tickets to Draw Two, please visit https://www.theatreworks.org.au/2025/draw-two.
