When Lewis Treston’s name is on the script, you can expect that you’re in for some delightfully unhinged antics, incisive social commentary, big laughs, and some very, very gay shenanigans. IRL is Sydney’s latest taste of the Treston playbook, and this angsty, cosplay-filled teen drama packs all the essential ingredients into a single chaotic day set amongst the surreal chaos of a pop culture convention in Brisbane.
Following Hubris & Humilitation (a fabulous farce set in post-plebiscite Sydney, brought to life with pizazz by Sydney Theatre Company) and Hot Tub (a crime-filled tragi-comedy set on the Gold Coast during Schoolies, boldly staged downstairs at Belvoir 25A) – director Eugene Lynch reunites with the team behind The Pigeons (potentially the most polarising play of 2024) to bring IRL crash-landing onto the humble stage of KXT on Broadway.
We meet Alexei (Andrew Fraser), a gay, 17-year-old cosplayer with a mild Disney Princess obsession and a celebrity best friend, Taylor (Bridget Haberecht), who decides Supanova is the perfect place for his first date with long-time internet crush, Thaddeus (Leon Walshe). But, in a regrettable moment of self-sabotage, Alexei assumes a false identity in order to test out his would-be boyfriend. Meanwhile, the thin line between reality, fantasy, and saccharine pop-culture saturation begins to blur beyond recognition.
Treston’s script contains an interesting balance of silly banter, niche internetspeak, incisive wit, and profoundly human vulnerability – building up to a clever commentary about pop culture’s complicity with the destructive forces of capitalism. While the story does aim some swings at mass-produced media franchises, the machines that churn them out, and the online and IRL (in real life) spaces that feed them, there is also clearly a deep affection for fandoms and cosplay communities at its core.
Fraser’s Alexei kicks off with an impassioned princess-style lip-sync (tens across the board!) and adeptly charges us into IRL’s relatively brief 100-minutes of action, leading a solid cast of four with a great knack for comic timing. The team gets creative with the intimacy of KXT’s traverse stage, playing off the inherently camp nature of the story with crafty costumes, sharp lighting choices, the odd Pokémon plushie, an obligatory lightsaber battle, and a few other fun theatrical tricks (with mixed success).
IRL is a promising new work that is very much of the now. However, while it does tick a lot of boxes, it doesn’t quite touch the comic heights that these creatives are fully capable of. But while this production is a gem or two shy of a complete infinity gauntlet, it is still a joyful and worthwhile outing for anyone who has enjoyed previous offerings from this writer or this creative team – as well as anyone who has ever dabbled in cosplay, cons, fandoms, or just the messy magic of being young and hopeful.
IRL is presented by The Other Theatre in association with bAKEHOUSE Theatre. It’s playing at KXT on Broadway until May 10, 2025. Tickets are on sale over here.
Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, things to do and travel inspo, straight to your inbox.