I Promise This Isn’t About You (Even If It Feels Like It Is) is an adventure even before the drama starts. Ticket holders meet in the Trades Hall courtyard and find themselves led down a side alley into a space that is a functional carpark by day, an open air theatre by night, naturally decorated by concrete beams and colourful street art.
Here you will be treated to a theatre in the round experience, set entirely in a share-house bathroom during an end-of-lease house party. Five young people explore the nuances of adulthood, from crushes, relationships, sexuality crises and mental illness to learning how to fix a toilet and desperately trying to keep your agapanthus alive.
I Promise This Isn’t About You has set itself high standards, being the first Fringe show this year to sell out (don’t worry, they have since added extra capacity!) and it doesn’t fall short. The set alone is a treat for theatregoers, with functional plumbing and drawers stuffed full of secret props. It’s also worth noting the incredible tech work of Georgie Wolfe and Ryan Hamilton who have managed to stage fully developed light and soundscapes in a carpark.
It would be remiss to review this play without noting the incredible work of the five actors. Mads Lou, Jo Jabalde, Eliza Carlin, Rueby Chippek, and Ally Long work perfectly together as an ensemble, creating deep complicated relationships and refusing to let the energy on stage drop for even a moment.
From quotable one liners, immaculate comic timing and amusing costume to emotional breakdowns, romantic connections and desperation, this show cycles through every emotion in a thoughtful, developed way that shows off the writing talents of author Sarah Matthews and is a must watch for anyone who’s ever attended a messy house party (or anyone who’s ever wanted to).
To book tickets to I Promise This Isn’t About You (Even If It Feels Like It Is), please visit https://www.melbournefringe.com.au/whats-on/events/i-promise-this-isn-t-about-you-even-if-it-feels-like-it-is.
Photographer: Jaimi Houston
