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Forget Me, Please

05/09/202605/09/2026 Elleirah Moon

Forget Me, Please Rating

★★★★★

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Forget Me, Please
Presented by Sophie Davis
At Old Fitz Theatre

From the moment the lights dimmed at The Old Fitz, audiences were captivated by the screeching sound of an anxiety inducing track followed by immediate ear piercing silence, setting the tone for a tense and thought provoking evening about relationships, trauma, and the heartbreaking notion that most people have experienced at least once in their life – I wish I could forget you.

Written by Sophie Davis and Directed by Jessica Dicosta, the production tells the story of two people, Andi and Sasha, who meet by coincidence in triage after both suffering concussions. As the story progresses, they pair develop into friends, and eventually to lovers, whose experiences are shaped by Andi’s unravelling post-concussion symptoms. Beneath the surface, it explores themes of co-dependency, trauma bonding, and the effects of mental health on relationships. These ideas come to life most clearly through Andi’s recollection of experiences in its non linear form, inviting audiences to share the complexity of her brain.

At the centre of the story, Kala Gare and Shannen Alyce Quan produce raw, emotional and witty performances as they recount the experiences of Andi and Sasha. Through times of hardship, love, play, and vulnerability, these two actresses’ insanely strong chemistry carry the story of Andi and Sasha in a way that is truly breathtaking to the soul, and devastating to the heart, whilst still bringing moments of joy and laughter to the audience.

The set contains a pair of white boxes that the cast move and shape to set different locations, creating seamless set changes that are equally impressive by design and simplistic by execution. Similarly the wardrobe, lighting, and props also remain in all white for the majority of the show and is a reinstating factor of Andi’s supposed insanity. The use of colour in the conclusion of the piece is a subtle yet powerful reminder that sometimes it’s the things we love that drive us mad, and it may be healthier to forget than to hold on.

Music and sound wrap around the production beautifully, adding a level of intensity to the moments of psychosis that otherwise may have been missed. Whilst minimal in its use, the music involved in the scenes and scene changes are an essential world building tool that should not be overlooked.

Throughout the performance, the audience responds with sharp inhales, giggles, silence, and visible emotion. The moment of a seemingly innocent spider kill sparked a particularly interesting reaction from the audience, as they along with Sasha felt the betrayal performed by Andi, foreshadowing her later (or earlier) action, showing just how successfully the cast connects with the room.

Altogether, Forget Me, Please is a moving and thought provoking piece of independent theatre. Its greatest strength is its simplicity in conveying its story through relatable and real world experiences. By the time the final bows arrive, the production leaves its audience with emotional stimulation as they leave pondering what they would do if they had the option to forget the person that broke their heart the most.

Forget Me, Please is a gut wrenching yet charming reminder of the human experience regarding mental health from both the perspective of the person experiencing it and their loved ones. For audiences who enjoy an intimate and relatable story, this is a production well worth stepping into.

Forget Me, Please is running at the Old Fitz Theatre from Friday the 4th of September to Friday the 11th of September. For more information and to book tickets, head to https://sydneyfringe.com/events/forget-me-please/

Review by Elleirah Moon

To book tickets to Forget Me, Please, please visit https://www.oldfitztheatre.com.au/whats-on-1.

Photographer: Lucy Parakhina

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And The Winner Of Best Show For The Sydney Fringe Is…

05/09/2026 Potanoski Papa🆕

The Man Rating

★★★★★

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This was a masterclass in naturalist acting and storytelling. Mike Howlett deserves to win every single award possible for his performance in this beautiful show. The show deserves to be sold out every single night and in a much better performance space.

Producers who HAVE MONEY need to take this somewhere bigger!! Please go see this show!!!

The description of the plot of the show doesn’t really sound too appealing. The title of the show, without context, makes you think you’re going to see a show about something to with manosphere – yuk. Please look beyond that.

It starts as a quirky interactive comedy about a meek and mannered guy but by the end you’ll have laughed, cried and been changed for the experience.

“Tax makes Ben anxious. As a sole trader, he’s been hoarding receipts all year. Now, he must go through them all and the audience are going to help.

Every receipt tells a story, every audience member gets a receipt (the first three rows). Audience members will be called on at random to produce a receipt, and the performer will deliver the corresponding monologue. Every performance is totally unique, with the order of scenes changing every night.”

I didn’t think a show about doing one’s tax return would so poignant. With every transaction evoking the good times and the bad memories of things gone wrong, gone right, journeys taken, relationships that have begun and ended. Prompted by frequent calls to the Inland Revenue helpline. There are humiliations, successes and tragedies of the last twelve months, stitching together his memories of the last financial year.

The story of his twin packs a particular punch. I don’t want to give any spoilers on that.

The character of Ben is clearly neurodivergent in the best way. There is a spark that he starts to realise the powers he has with his particular brand of neurodivergence. I don’t know if this was the playwright’s or lead actor’s plan, but it hits you right in the face in a wonderful way.

I was not in the first three rows, so I did not receive one of the receipts but this device of giving the receipts to audience members is genius. Due to the randomness of which ones come up, it really brings you straight into the moment. This must have been a challenge in rehearsals. I’m sure there are certain plot points to jump back too but each section/monologue would have been like its own separate play to learn. This was masterfully taken care of by Howlett. From the moment he stepped on stage you knew you were in safe hands, and we would have gone anywhere with him.

The production team have done a disservice by not putting Mike Howlett’s name on all of the promotional material. Having to search the internet for the only person in the play is a massive faux pas by them.

I would like to give a shout out to the costume and set designer/s, also not listed anywhere. The contrast of the stark set with the magic pop of colour of Howlett’s costume worked perfectly together.

Jo Bradley doesn’t try to heavy handle anything in this production, which to me means they have done their job as a director perfectly.

James Graham has won a ton of awards for his writing for stage and screen. “The Man” is another great example of beautiful work and captivating and very individual point of view.

Handy tip for theatre goers – There is very little parking near the theatre, and it isn’t the easiest place to find if you don’t know the area. You go to the basement of the community centre and there is the performance space.

Run, don’t walk, to Lane Cove – Pottery Lane Performance Space before it closes on Sunday!!!!

To book tickets to The Man, please visit https://sydneyfringe.com/events/the-man/.

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Day (After Day) In The Life Of The Useless

05/09/2026 Manuela Kacomanolis🥈🎭

Day (After Day) In The Life Of The Useless Rating

★★★★★

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The Black Swan Theatre Company presented Day (After Day) in the Life of the Useless to a packed audience at the State Theatre Centre of WA for its opening night. Written by Will O’Mahony, who also takes the central role of Pete, the play portrays an unsettling portrait of a man whose life rapidly spirals after his fiancée leaves him.

Pete’s romantic loss is only the beginning. He soon loses his job and, with his finances deteriorating, becomes trapped in a succession of increasingly difficult situations as he scrambles to find enough money to stay afloat. What begins as a personal crisis develops into a broader examination of insecurity, isolation and the ease with which an ordinary life can collapse. Along the way the audience is introduced to several eccentric and quirky characters bringing humour to the play.

The play’s title captures the repetitive nature of Pete’s struggle. Each day brings another disappointment, another crisis. Whilst Pete’s fears of abandonment, unemployment and financial instability are recognisable and relatable, some of the unfortunate situations Pete finds himself however, I found a bit far-fetched. Nevertheless, it’s his poor decisions which accumulates in his downfall.

Intertwined in the narrative is the involvement of AI. Just after being dumped, Pete does what many people do and turns to AI for advice. Its response is “the best revenge is living well” which Pete desperately tries to do but ends up going in the opposite direction. I wasn’t exactly sure whether AI had more to do with the story. There were times when I was expecting there to be a twist and that perhaps a character would reveal itself to be a robot. Instead, the relevance of AI to the story has to do with Pete’s feeling of worthlessness. If AI can do the work of humans, faster and cheaper, then what use is there for humans?

The story is told through a series of fast-paced chapters, 38 in total. Each chapter is a different scene, and each is presented literally on a giant digital billboard screen on stage. The climax I found a little confusing wondering whether the scene being played was real or Pete’s imagination.

Nathaniel Langworthy, Steve Le Marquand, Tess Bowers and Catherine Moore each take on multiple roles throughout the play, moving between an assortment of colourful characters who populate Pete’s increasingly chaotic world. By contrast, Will O’Mahony remains as Pete. All five performances were accomplished and engaging, and the cast’s work was warmly received by the opening-night audience.

Day (After Day) in the Life of the Useless runs for 1 hour and 45 minutes without an interval which I was quite glad it didn’t have as it would have broken the play’s fast-paced momentum. It is a darkly humorous account of a man struggling to regain control of his life.

To book tickets to Day (After Day) In The Life Of The Useless, please visit https://blackswantheatre.com.au/season-2026/day-after-day-in-the-life-of-the-useless
.

Photographer: Daniel J Grant

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Late for?

02/09/202602/09/2026 Potanoski Papa🆕

Sorry I’m Late Rating

★★★★★

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First cab off the rank for this year’s Sydney Fringe Festival.

Sorry I’m Late

Productions credits:
Writer, Producer, Cast (Dorothy) – Izzy Azzopardi
Producer, Cast (Mackenzie) – Jessica Garnett
Director – Rebecca McNamee
Production Designer – Daisy Hughes
Lighting Designer – Lila Browning
Sound Designer – Tait Gibbons
Rehearsal Assistant – Lara Koscis

It was very heartwarming to see to full audience of mainly family, friends and loved ones of the cast and crew for their opening night. I’m sure the lead up to the run of five nights would have been a ton of tireless work to get this new work to the stage and presented for the 2026 Sydney Fringe Festival. The long list of production team for this two hander, certainly paints that picture.

This is a nonlinear, nonsensical, zero plot driven play.

The playwright describes it as; “Through this play, I wanted to interrogate a number of big ideas that ultimately converge under the thematic umbrella of ‘the fragility of time’: the artist grind, which often involves
the paralysis of self-doubt; the expectation of women to have it all.”

The director describes it as; “Sometimes we wake up and wonder: How did I get to this point? Where am I? And is this even where I want to be? be? I think that feeling is universal. Life can feel familiar, yet somehow we’ve lost our sense of where we are, who we are and we even question whether our choices are completely our own.”

Theatre of the absurd is existentialism and expresses what happens when human existence lacks meaning or purpose and communication breaks down. The structure of the plays is typically a round shape, with the finishing point the same as the starting point. Logical construction and argument give way to irrational and illogical speech and to the ultimate conclusion of silence. Or put more plainly a godless world with no start or finish and the perils of having to deal with other people.

The play really tried to attempt this, but it was filled with a bit too much Gen Z angst to really get there. If that is your cup of tea, then this is the play for you.

Pacing was an issue, particularly for the first half of the play but I take that down to opening night nerves.

I tip my hat off to the two actors for working their butts off to learn such a nonlinear script. That takes a lot of time, unless you have a photographic memory. Knowing, like most shows of the Sydney Fringe Festival, it was put together on a shoestring budget. That is something to be proud of.

Sorry I’m Late plays until September 5th at the Actor’s Pulse in Redfern.

(Take a cushion, the seats are not comfortable, but they do have air-conditioning).

To book tickets to Sorry I’m Late, please visit https://sydneyfringe.com/events/sorry-im-late/.

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