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Play Date: Elementary Brings Bold New Short Works To The Stage

21/01/2026 Breaking News🥉

Knock And Run Theatre is proud to announce Play Date: Elementary, the latest iteration of its short play festival celebrating new writing, emerging artists, and experimental performance.

Returning on February 21st at The Laneway Theatre (also known as Newcastle Theatre Company), Play Date: Elementary will present a curated program of short plays responding to the theme “Elementary” – interpreted by artists in playful, abstract, and unexpected ways. The festival showcases a diverse lineup of writers and directors, each bringing a distinct voice and theatrical approach to the stage.

Following an open call that attracted a high volume of submissions, a script assessor (nationally acclaimed playwright Vanessa Bates) chose 9 short plays to be developed and presented as part of the festival. The final program reflects a wide range of styles and perspectives, united by a spirit of curiosity, invention, and bold storytelling.

“Play Date is about creating space for artists to take risks,” says James Chapman, Play Date festival director. “Elementary gave writers permission to strip things back, flip expectations, and approach theatre with a sense of play. The selected works are surprising, smart, and full of energy.”

Play Date has become a key platform for emerging and independent theatre-makers in the region, offering opportunities for writers, directors, and performers to collaborate on new work within a supportive and creatively ambitious framework. The festival prioritises accessibility, simplicity of production, and strong artistic voice.

This year’s festival includes short plays such as “Fridge” by Joshua Maxwell, “Her Element” by Nat Newman, “Cow Juice: An Origin Story” by Dez Robertson and “The Escape” by Alison Lancey. This year’s Play Date is the third iteration of the festival following Play Date: Time & Space (2021) and Play Date: Four Seasons (2025) and will feature multiple short works presented across a mixed bill, with performances at 2pm and 7:30pm on Saturday 21st Feb. Tickets are on sale now and are available via https://events.humanitix.com/play-date-elementary, with full program and artist announcements to follow.

EVENT DETAILS
What: Play Date: Elementary
Presented by: Knock And Run Theatre
When: 2pm & 7:30pm Saturday 21st, Feb
Where: The Laneway Theatre, Lambton
Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/play-date-elementary

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Danny And The Deep Blue Sea

17/01/2026 Reuben Harris

Danny And The Deep Blue Sea Rating

★★★★★

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Danny And The Deep Blue Sea in one word is a hurricane. It is a force of nature to be reckoned with. Set in the 1980s in the Bronx, it follows the two characters of Danny and Roberta fiercely played by JK Kazzi and Jacqui Purvis. I mean this is a masterclass on acting. You truly believed every word they were saying. Honestly two of the best performances I have seen in recent memory. Their raw unfiltered emotion, and explosive dialogue masterfully written by John Patrick Shanley. This is no holds barred dialogue at its grittiest.

We follow the Characters of Danny and Roberta from a chance meeting at a bar and the encounters that follow are a whirlwind of violence and tenderness. I do issue a warning that this play has mature themes including violence from both parties, and does mention sexual abuse and there is also use of coarse language.

The direction of this play by Nigel Turner-Carroll is very clever, using every inch of the stage as an interactive landscape absolutely delights. There is a very well thought out scene change that doesn’t break the tension of the play which is very hard to do.

At the heart of this play is two very dysfunctional people that come across very unlikable at the beginning but then throughout the course of the play you will begin to think and ponder that absolutely everyone is deserving of love and kindness, no matter their flaws.

The audience gave this play a standing ovation, and rightly so. Everything worked, from the accents, to the acting, the lighting and great use of the stage.

The Old Fitz is an intimate venue perfect for this type of play.

Theatre at it’s absolute best should leave the audience changed in some way. This play left a mark on me and gave me an insight into a world that is foreign to me. I left the theatre actually having more empathy for people that live a different life to myself, and I think that is a true testament to everyone involved in this production.

This play is a thought provoking hurricane that takes you on a roller coaster of emotion, that will ultimately leave you changed after witnessing it.

A very big congratulations to all involved and I don’t think you can ask much more of a theatre experience.

To book tickets to Danny And The Deep Blue Sea, please visit https://www.oldfitztheatre.com.au/danny-and-the-deep-blue-sea-1.

Photographer: Tony Davison

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A Promenade of Shorts – The Red Phoenix Theatre Company

17/01/2026 Rob McKinnon🥉

A Promenade of Shorts Rating

★★★★★

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The concept of A Promenade of Shorts was born out of COVID restrictions in April 2020 when crowd sizes had to be limited to a small number. Due to the previous success of the concept, in 2026 the Red Phoenix Theatre Company presents season 3 of A Promenade of Shorts now at the Goodwood Theatre whereby 29 actors perform in 9 plays each of 10 minutes. They are performed in different areas of the theatre with great success. The plays are expertly executed over 3 sessions with 2 breaks and provide a highly entertaining experience.

Over the course of the evening, Tour Guides (Anne Doherty, Kate Prescott and Olivia Jan Parker) lead 3 groups of audience members through the distinct performance spaces where 3 plays are performed at each space.

In the Main Theatre the following are performed:

1. In Farce (written by Steven Bucko, directed by Norm Caddick)

Cast:
Front Desk Staff Jo Coventry
Man Matt Chapman
Husband Adam Tuominen
Wife Anita Zamberlan Canala
Plot Device Krystal Cave

2. Chilled Wine (written by Dorothy Lambert, directed by Alicia Zorkovic)

Cast:
Charlotte Jessica Corrie
Louise Laura Tregloan
Gemma Monika Lapka

3. Go to the Light (written by Laurie Allen, directed by Alicia Zorkovic)

Cast:
Roxie Peta Shannon
Sophie Cheryl Douglas
Dad Malcolm Walton
Will Tom Tassone

In The Bar the following are performed:

4. Bottle for a Special Occasion (written by William Kovacsik, directed by Hayley Horton)

Cast:
Martin Stuart Perce
Judith Lyn Wilson

5. On Queue (written by Morey Norkin, directed by Hayley Horton)

Cast:
Man 1 Jack Robins
Man 2 Jethro Pidd

6. Choices (written by James McLindon, directed by Hayley Horton)

Cast:
Debt Counselor Rebecca Kemp
Prospective Client Laura Lines

In The Studio the following are performed:

7. Road Trip (written by Jan Probst, directed by Libby Drake)

Cast:
Allen Lindsay Dunn
Mary Joanne St Clair
Aunt Pat Katie Packer
Uncle Joe John Rosen
Jack Jai Pearce
Michael Charlie Butler

8. When I Fall in Love it Will Be … (written by Susan Middaugh, directed by Libby Drake)

Cast:
Florence Campbell Lisa Lanzi
Ed Ferris Adrian Barnes

9. Mrs Thrale Lays On … Tea! (written by Rob Taylor, directed by Libby Drake)

Cast:
Mrs Thrale Sharon Malujlo
Polly Zoe Battersby
Dr Johnson Michael Eustice

Over the 9 plays the audience learns the ordinances in the town of Farce, not to trust a man working his way through the alphabet, how many Facebook likes you could get on your death bed, what’s the best wines for a cheating husband, how 2 men can make a queue, how to repay your student loan, how to plan a family road trip, how to cope with spouses who have dementia in residential care and what Mrs Thrale and Dr Johnson do after tea – very naughty!

The plays are often funny, sometimes hilariously, but there is also a mixture of sadness, and all are expertly acted. Each performance space presents its own demands which are adeptly and seamlessly resolved by the company’s crew members. Each audience member will have their favourite play of the evening and is also required to vote for it which is a difficult task due to the high-quality of all of them.

The Red Phoenix Theatre Company is to be congratulated for providing a magnificent evening of entertainment with season 3 of A Promenade of Shorts, with something for all audience members, it is in every respect a triumph deserving full houses.

Reviewed by Rob McKinnon
Rating; 5/5

A Promenade of Shorts remaining sessions are:
January 17, 21, 22, 23 & 24 @ 7.30pm. Sunday January 18 @ 2.00pm

Venue: Goodwood Theatre
166 Goodwood Road, Goodwood SA 5034

Tickets: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1419827

To book tickets to A Promenade of Shorts, please visit https://www.redphoenixtheatre.com/nextplay/.

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Blackpill: Redux

15/01/2026 Oscar Bray🆕

Blackpill: Redux Rating

★★★★★

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How can the internet be depicted in other art forms? Many directors and writers across various mediums have tried to showcase the intangible world that most of us live our lives in. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of ways in which these kinds of stories can go wrong; a lack of empathy for particular communities, overly complicated visual metaphors, a reliance on outdated memes and references – the list goes on.

Blackpill: Redux avoids all these pitfalls. This remounting of the 2025 Theatreworks/Paracosm show, written and directed by Chris Patrick Hansen, combines razor-sharp writing, bleak stage design and intricately unnerving performances to create a scintillating dissection of incel culture and the men who fall into its black holes.

Eli (Oliver Tapp) is a self-admitted loser who’s been fired from his job for reasons he is suspiciously cagey about. He’s stuck with no money, no family or friends he can confide in, a desire to make something of his life and a lot of time to spend on his phone. If you’re familiar with stories about ‘the alt-right pipeline’, ‘the manosphere’ and ‘incels’, you can probably see where this train is going. If you aren’t, you can witness his journey from fitness gurus to ‘edgy’ Instagram group chats to voice calls discussing sexual fantasies and male loneliness, down and down and down. Either way, just like a trainwreck, you won’t be able to look away.

It’s clear that Hansen has done an unenviable amount of research into these corners of the internet. It’s all very well to gawk at and shame the flagrant misogyny on display, but Blackpill: Redux goes several steps further by showing in detail how an ‘everyman’ can be seduced by promises of community, justice and self-improvement. There’s a looming loneliness in almost every character, and the grooming mechanisms they practice and fall for (often at the same time) are so clear yet well-paced enough to be believably enticing. The ending (without spoiling it) in particular guides the audience into understanding these men and empathizing with their emotions, without excusing his actions and the damage they’ve caused.

The set is a grey box of platforms dominated by a hexagonal screen and LED-lit wire fragments hanging from the ceiling. It looks like an abandoned spacecraft, and when text and images are shown on the screen, they are devoured by glitchy rotting. The sound design is booming and abrasive, creating a frightening, gloomy and expansive world. At the same time, one of the best things about Blackpill: Redux is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. The dozen-strong cast are all incredible physical actors and this is often played for laughs, with ridiculous movement sequences depicting common internet memes, cliches in Hugh Grant movies and the stereotypes Eli learns to project onto the people in his life. This show has a very dark sense of humour and knows exactly how to wield it, often making references to internet culture that feel ‘of a time’ but not stuck in an outdated moment.

I’m fascinated that a show about something as nebulous and complicated as online indoctrination could be this physical and raw. The amount of heart, intelligence, wit and pathos in it is incredible to behold, and I couldn’t recommend it more. Check it out while you still can – you’ll be thinking and talking about it for a long time afterwards.

To book tickets to Blackpill: Redux, please visit https://www.theatreworks.org.au/2026/blackpill-redux.

Photographer: Sarah Clarke

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