Robot Song is a 10/10 unicorn. It’s a lean, hilarious and genuinely heartfelt piece of theatre, where every element is perfectly placed and the magic sneaks up on you. There is no fat in this show. Nothing extraneous. It is deliberate, thoughtful and perfectly crafted, a tight hour that moves at a cracking pace and still finds room for your heart to keep up.
I first saw Robot Song years ago and it hit me just as hard this time at Theatre Works as it did when I saw it in regional Victoria. I feel like that is the mark of a work built on universal truth and authenticity.
Created by Jolyon James (writer, director and designer), Robot Song takes the lazy “robotic” stereotype often slapped onto autistic people and flips it into something far more honest and generous. In James’ own words the show challenges those misconceptions, asks how we define ourselves and centres creativity as a way through when language fails.
At the centre of the story is Adeline Hunter as Juniper May, giving a stellar performance that is funny, raw and completely believable, like you are watching a real kid think in real time. Phillip McInnes as Dad nails the paternal warmth and the messy, relatable effort of trying to get it right more often than you get it wrong. Michelle Doyle, performer-musician, is a quiet force, moving between presence as Mum and musicianship in a way that makes the whole room feel held.
The music, composed and directed by Nathan Gilkes, is simple but perfectly formed, built to keep the lyrics clear and centred while still giving the singers space to fly. And fly they did. Each performer showcased their vocal skills brilliantly but Adeline Hunter stole the show vocally with a powerhouse voice that left the audience cheering.
The theatrical language is a joy too: a show-within-a-show (and sometimes another show within that). It never feels confusing as we switch between worlds, just lovingly guided. Puppetry, projection, movement and live tech blend so seamlessly, you stop clocking the mechanics of brilliant theatre-making and find yourself genuinely immersed inside the story.
The design, once again, highlights the versatility of Theatre Works. It sits within the space as though it was custom built for the venue. The set looks casual, complete with found objects strewn everywhere, but everything is precisely chosen and positioned, especially around the oversized dumpster centrepiece which is somehow both realistic and quietly magical. Set construction is credited to Tom Eeles at JT Custom Builds, and you can feel the intelligence in every centimetre of it. The lighting (with original lighting design by Paul Lim) and the sound design deserve their own standing ovation. They are detailed, sculpted and so apparently effortless that you only realise afterwards how much work must be underneath.
I brought my 17-year-old daughter to this performance and she loved it as much as I did, as much as the younger kids in the audience did too. That “everyone gets something” kind of magic is rare. Think Bluey energy: warm, clever, deeply inclusive, with big lessons delivered gently with wit and kindness. This show made me laugh, cry and I loved every moment of it. Don’t miss it.
To book tickets to Robot Song, please visit https://www.theatreworks.org.au/2026/robot-song.
