Douglas Maxwell has built a strong reputation as one of Scotland’s most successful playwrights.
Now, Ainslie McGlynn, Jeremy Waters, Henry Nixon and Aisha Aidara bring Maxwell’s comedic four hander ‘So Young’ to the Old Fitz for its Australian premiere for Outhouse Theatre Co.
‘So Young’ won the Best New Play at the annual Critics’ Awards for Theatre in Scotland with its funny and heartfelt portrayal of facing the future while the scars of the covid pandemic are still healing.
Sydney’s a long way from Glasgow. The four actors performing So Young had no way of knowing there was a Scots native that lived for years in Glasgow hiding at the back of the audience. I’m happy to report that Outhouse Theatre Co’s new production wouldn’t be out of place in the Tron, the Traverse or Oran Mor’s a Play, a Pie and a Pint.
Sam O’Sullivan’s clean and realistic direction wastes nothing. The text is timed exquisitely, making great use of Maxwell’s pauses for comic effect. Lighting design by Aron Murry supports the realism using changes and specials to assist the settings of place and time. Set by Kate Beere is detailed and homely, with a warmth created by an autumnal colour palette. Lamps, books and records adorn and enhance the ‘lived in’ feel.
Greta: “This is my world – it’s mine for the taking and I’m taking it!”
The acting walks the line of heightened drama and comedy with precision. Aisha Aidara is warm, vibrant and kind as “Greta”. Ainslie McGlynn shows great range as “Liane” battling change and grief, as does Henry Nixon as Milo – but with stoicism and Vesuvian anger. Jeremy Waters is thoroughly watchable as “Davie” – working the text with aplomb.
It’s a risky endeavour to take on a Glasgow accent. For a comparatively wee city there’s a wide variety of accents and throw in some Scots words and you’re playing with fireworks. Hats off to Linda Nicholls-Gidley for coaching the cast to succeed in sounding Glaswegian, while keeping it easily accessible for a Sydney audience, and only occasionally stray west toward Ireland.
At one point Maxwell namechecks Scots authors Iain Banks and Irvine Welsh. So Young’s comedy is not nearly as dark as Banks or Welsh. This is a Glasgow of middle-aged teachers and graphic artists. They drink white wine instead of Buckfast and Irn Bru.
The audience clearly loved it, laughing happily throughout, with a few tears shed in the final act.
It’s a satire, it’s a comedy, it’s a tragedy! No, it’s Micro-Nuance’s hour-and-change long show Atlantis, featuring Veronica Clavijo, Jimmy Hazelwood, and Sylvia Marie. Tucked into the cozy underground of KXT’s rehearsal space, ‘The Vault,’ the audience was immediately met with this piece’s attempt at trying something new. Mico-Nuance boasts their preferences for low-tech, low-budget shows in unconventional spaces, which presents an interesting test for a director. Although I am in complete agreement that shows don’t need to be flashy to be impressive, I do believe in justifying why the space is unconventional, and why the show doesn’t experiment with lighting and sound. Further, with the seating bank laid out in an L shape, they gave themselves another hurdle to clear. Thus, a multi-faceted challenge was set, met by, maybe, an overconfident team.
Walking into the space, the sounds of a strumming acoustic guitar filled the room. A classic and romantic workaround for non-existent sound systems, my interest was drawn to the usage of live sound in the piece. I was confused then, upon Marie’s direct address to the audience explaining who everyone would be playing, that she took the guitar off of Hazelwood. This removed one of the two opportunities for non-voiced sound in the room whilst posing slightly odd questions about the opening of the piece. I am all for actors being in the space with the audience before the start of the piece, it can be a highly effective way of drawing the audience’s attention, and creating that beautiful nervous-excited tension for an actor that propels them into action when lights go up. However, if, as was evident from the audience address, the actors on stage with us are not in character, and are relaxing or chatting, it denies them precious moments of preparation pre-show. This tends to manifest in the actors taking costly minutes of legitimate performance time to warm into their characters; something that should’ve been done backstage.
The piece did open well: snappy, fast-paced dialogue in a script that quickly developed characterisation. Both characters indeed took time to warm into the piece, however Clavijo and Hazelwood had great chemistry and effectively set up a believable relationship. That all too familiar story of lovers in theatre, where you’re somewhat left asking, “what do they see in each other?”
Clavijo was a strong performer, especially through the top half of the piece. Expressive, emotive, and actively experiencing her situation; we watched every thought move behind her eyes before she spoke and felt it. Hazelwood similarly opened well, and was a compelling counter-weight in his lightness and comedy to Clavijo’s cynicism. Their voices filled the space, and were initially experimental with pitch and rhythm. Although both were slightly demonstrative in their emotions and vocal work, this was not a trap they would fall properly into until later in the piece. Marie, who we saw later, presented a youthfully naive portrayal of the Byron Bay auntie, although I would’ve liked to see some clearer character choices from her throughout.
As a worshipper of such experts of timing as Pinter and Kushner, I cannot stop myself from noticing the rhythm of the piece. Atlantis was, perhaps well-summed up in the phrase “run don’t walk” in its commitment to a full bodied sprint to the finish line. Although this was perhaps to keep the full runtime short and sweet, it left both moments of grief and comedy with inadequate breathing room. Scattered throughout the piece were moments where both the script and delivery of a moment was genuinely funny. Yet, we as the audience weren’t given time to laugh or feel, and neither were the actors on stage given the time to hold the moment long enough to make it really land. Furthermore, in this prioritization of speed, there weren’t those delicious moments of discomfort and anxiety that sell a naturalist piece like this. Its ending was characterized by explosive moments of grief, guilt, and anger, all performed engagingly, yet, without the slow buildup of stakes, they almost felt unearned. This was aggravated by the script’s own rapid gearshifts, the ending being the most significant one. After finally ramping up their performances and taking accountability within the narrative, the piece abruptly and rather vexingly ends, denying any real catharsis for the audience.
That being said, all three actors made plenty of interesting and engaging choices, despite their commitment and emotional believability dipping in the back half. Although I’m not quite sure what the overall argument of the piece was, they touched on plenty of interesting ideas — cultural appropriation, the circumstances that drive people into both faith and crime, and how much of the things we tell ourselves we really believe. I empathise with new scripts and tight budgets, and I very much enjoyed the moments of emotional vulnerability and truth that we got. Through the top half, the text and acting was genuinely interesting and engaging, and the strong moments of physical and emotional commitments were tasteful but impressive. I look forward to seeing the future of Micro-Nuance and the work they create, even if this attempt leaves a little to be desired.
S. Asher Gelman’s international hit play AFTERGLOW is heading down under for its highly anticipated Australian premiere! AFTERGLOW will play at Melbourne’s Chapel off Chapel from 30 January and at the Eternity Playhouse, Sydney from 26 February. The stellar cast of three comprises Julian Curtis (Gaslight, Cock, Dance Academy), gold medal winning Olympic diver Matthew Mitcham (Strangers in Between, Jock Night, The Pool) and Matthew Predny (Titanique, Avenue Q, Kinky Boots). When Josh and Alex, a married couple in an open relationship, invite Darius to share their bed for a night, a new and intimate connection is ignited. As all three men come to terms with their individual definitions of love, loyalty, and trust, relationships are challenged and futures are shaken. AFTERGLOW is a raw, funny and sensual exploration of polyamory, commitment, and modern love.
“I couldn’t be more excited to be bringing AFTERGLOW to Australia!,” said writer/director S. Asher Gelman. “What began as an attempt to make sense of a painful chapter involving my own experience with loving more than one person has fundamentally altered the course of my life, and continues to do so. AFTERGLOW doesn’t provide any answers; instead it asks questions about both our individual and collective relationships to love, loyalty and trust, and I truly cannot wait for Aussie audiences to experience this labour of love, now nine years in the making.”
“Funny and sensual” ★★★★ – Queer Guru “Achingly beautiful” ★★★★ – Everything Theatre “Passionate and poignant” ★★★★ – Revstan “Incredible… should not be missed!” ★★★★ – Theatre Reviews
After its critical success Off-Broadway and a season which ran for 18 months, and productions around the globe, AFTERGLOW now brings its modern, intimate exploration of desire, honesty and connection to Australian audiences!
AFTERGLOW Playwright/Director/Choreographer S. Asher Gelman Lighting Designer Jamie Roderick Set Designer Ann Beyersdofter Producer Midnight Theatricals
SEASON DETAILS
MELBOURNE Venue: Chapel Off Chapel, Little Chapel Street, Prahran Dates: 30 January – 21 February Performance Times: Mon-Thurs 7:30pm, Fri-Sat: 6:30pm & 9:30pm, Sun 5pm Tickets: $69 (Transaction fees may apply) Bookings: chapeloffchapel.com.au
SYDNEY Venue: Eternity Playhouse, Burton Street, Darlinghurst Dates: 26 February – 22 March Performance Times: Tues-Thurs 7:30pm, Fri-Sat: 6:30pm & 9:30pm (or 2pm & 7pm 28 Feb only), Sun 5pm Tickets: $69 (Transaction fees may apply) Bookings: www.afterglowtheplay.com.au
If you blended the dark wit of Heathers with the existential charm of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, you might come close to capturing the wild, weird brilliance of Ride the Cyclone, Sydney Musical Theatre’s latest production. This cult-favorite musical, written by Brooke Maxwell and Jacob Richmond, spins a tale that’s equal parts carnival nightmare, teen talent show, and philosophical meditation on what it means to live.
The premise is audaciously simple: six teenagers from the St. Cassian Chamber Choir die in a freak roller coaster accident. Now, trapped in a limbo-like carnival, they are offered one miraculous chance, by the mechanical fortune-teller Karnak, to sing their stories, and for one of them, to return to life. What unfolds is a haunting, hilarious, and unexpectedly moving journey through identity, regret, and the fragile beauty of being human.
Each number is a genre-hopping revelation. Ocean O’Connell Rosenberg’s biting self-importance (What the World Needs) crackles with manic energy, while Mischa Bachinski’s hard-edged rap ballad (This Song Is Awesome) hides a tender heart beneath its bravado. Jane Doe’s ethereal lament (The Ballad of Jane Doe) stops the show cold; a ghostly aria of lost memory that would feel at home in Phantom of the Opera’s darkest corners. And then there’s Constance Blackwood’s tearfully exuberant Sugarcloud, which blossoms into the musical’s emotional core: a celebration of joy reclaimed after despair.
Certainly a highlight of this production is the impeccable singing of the cast. Amira Clark as Ocean and Raven Swinkels as Jane Doe are absolute vocal standouts. Kielle Murillo as Constance and Xion Jarvis as Mischa display excellent comedic skills. Andrew Read and Lex Sywenkyj have the audience in stitches during their moments on stage.
The staging is a visual feast of carnival lights, decaying grandeur, and eerie automaton choreography. The ensemble choreographed by Elise Simpson works like a finely tuned ride mechanism: precise, kinetic, and emotionally fearless. Director Ssarah Shanahan has embraced the absurdity of the musical without losing the show’s heart, letting the humour sharpen rather than undercut the poignancy of the thematic concerns.
By the final reprise, Ride the Cyclone well and truly had the audience in its spell. It’s a production that dares to find joy in tragedy, laughter in death, and life in limbo. Beneath the spectacle lies a message that lingers: we are all, for better or worse, passengers on the same unpredictable ride.
