10 November, 2023
IRL is an endearing teenage love story.
The play follows Alexei, a seventeen-year-old with a passion for cosplay who gets lost in the untruths he tells about himself as he and his internet crush, Thaddeus, prepare to meet IRL (in real life) at the Supanova pop culture convention.
The production starts with an odd dream sequence, followed by a well-performed online text chat then journeys into a fabulous production with iconic costumes and a pop culture-fuelled dialogue that gets lots of audience laughs.
Alexei, in a moment of regrettable self-sabotage, takes on a false identity to test the genuineness of his would-be boyfriend. The conversation is sharp with equal parts hilarity and heart.
IRL is a fierce and humorous reflection of what it means to be a teenager searching for love, acceptance, and community.
Amazing set, lighting, characters, and costumes. I loved it and haven’t laughed that hard in a long time.
Would highly recommend.