As well as being an abbreviation for “in real life”, IRL is a brand-new Australian play making its world premiere at La Boite in 2023.
IRL is a pop culture-fuelled romp full of big laughs, sharp dialogue, iconic costumes and just enough romance to set hearts racing.
With equal parts humour and heart, IRL is a fierce and funny reflection of what it means to be a teenager searching for love, acceptance and community.
It follows Alexei, a 17-year-old with a passion for cosplay who gets lost in the lies – or stories – he tells about himself.
As he and his long-time internet crush, Thaddeus, prepare to meet IRL at the Supanova pop culture convention, Alexei – in a moment of regrettable self-sabotage – assumes a false identity to test the authenticity of his would-be boyfriend.
When Alexei’s best friend Taylor begins channelling the anti-capitalist vigilante superhero she plays on TV, the thin line between fantasy and reality wiggles wildly out of control.
Lean into the chaos!
Yes, this is a work that moves at breakneck speed but it is also brimming with heart.
It’s for anyone who has had a crush, experienced first love, been a teenager, found safety in their imagination or questioned their identity.
IRL plays Roundhouse Theatre, La Boite from 6 Nov 2023