On a rainy Tuesday night, I stepped into the dark room of Studio One, hoping to be filled with warmth. Gita Bezard’s Prickly Love performed and produced by the NUTS team did that perfectly. It was so refreshing to see representations of queer love, free from the homophobia that saturates most media. Rather they explored the risks and processes of falling in love through experimental narration, and characters, which director Emma Johns, said allowed the actors to have names and pronouns that made them most comfortable.
The show breathed life into the room, with audiences laughing at the portrayal of awkwardness, monotony and the realistic nature of navigating growing up, connections and friendships. The show opens with a breakup, blamed on ‘not being funny enough,’ immediately setting the tone for what’s to come.
Corah Fortune’s set and costumes had been clearly thought out by lead designer Zara Eggers, with queer signalling across the stage. From the Heartstopper books on the shelf to the abundance of Dr Martens and Converse, to the cuffed jeans and carabiners on belt hooks, it was copiously obvious how well-suited the ambience created was to the play’s theme. Furthermore, the costuming juxtaposition between the leads of Mads’ (Katherine Vu) signature clean white look and April’s (Ines Sicard) pinstriped black suit filled with safety pins only heightened the powerful contrasting characterisation both actors had.
via Dom Young
The simplicity of the set with two tables of computers on desks, and other tables shifted around the stage only further accredited the supporting characters' performances. Through skilful narration and Charlie Campbell's adept lighting design, we seamlessly navigated the intricate web of relationship dynamics, effortlessly refocusing whenever the narrative shifted. Harry's (Angus Crampton) palpable anxiety over a workplace romance, juxtaposed with Danny's (Aidan Hale) obliviousness, drew us into their story, prompting contemplation on broader themes of love. Meanwhile, Holly's (Isla Hook) introspective journey invited us to ponder the mysteries of the universe and reflect on life's true priorities.
Dom Young
Both Mads and April find themselves in unexpected situations: April navigates an awkward and probing date with Jaxon (Jasmine Jenkins), orchestrated by her well-meaning but misguided friend Slyvia. Slyvia's dedication to finding April the perfect match, despite her unconventional criteria, is portrayed beautifully by Olivia Castree-Croad. Meanwhile, Mads inadvertently disrupts the scene by spilling her drink all over April and Jaxon in a perfectly choreographed mishap, expertly executed by producer Cathy Gilbert and stage manager Gaby Whalland. Sam's humorous yet biting commentary on April's perceived perfection, delivered with confidence by Zoe Berg, adds another layer of intrigue. Gabbie (Isabella Mitchell) and Lila's (Charlie Thomson) dynamic sapphic relationship, punctuated by playful banter over a cactus and Britney Spears, elicited stifled giggles from the audience throughout the performance.
Via Dom Young
The cactus named Calamity suffered a self-fulfilled prophecy, ending up spilt over the ground, but propelling our leads Mads and April to eventually end up on the floor together, as the spotlight slowly closes them in. Although Mads doesn’t confess her love, and live happily ever after with April, we’re left with an ambiguous yet satisfying ending, with the cast returning to a familiar line in the middle of the stage as they had throughout the show taking turns to utter statements like,
"One is gorgeous
Two are gorgeous.
One still has the urge to fight.
Three are feeling just a tiny bit brave.
One would like to go home now please.
Two don’t care what the rest of you think.
One is bored.
Six feel like they made good choices tonight.
Two have stopped thinking about making out.
Two have not.
One decides to forget any of you ever existed.
One should probably leave.
Nine disperse.
One remains.
One… dances.”
Dancing throughout the play connects the characters, highlighting moments of love and freedom. Music producer Sophia Tudman and composer Ziv Pinco’s chosen whimsical and dreamy pieces captured the connective and carefree nature the play emulated. I was captivated from start to finish, as they addressed queerness with ease, humour and grace. The show’s conclusion made me want to join the showrunners in frolicking across the stage.
I believe there are strong incentives for selling out the shows being promoted via NUTS’ Instagram, such as tattoos and learning JoJo Siwa’s choreography.
Harper Spits is a second year student studying a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in English and Creative Writing. She is still mourning the Boygenius hiatus and the Eras Tour Australian leg being over. She has an affinity for buying more books than she can read and collecting pretty vinyl pressings.
