By Sophie Barker

In the interests of controversy, I wish I could write a scathing tear down of Under the Influence. Unfortunately, I enjoyed it far too much to start any drama.

This new, original musical—written by Ethan Francis-D’Amour and Eden McLean and edited by Matthew McDonald—follows best friends Kennedy and Ryan and their true crime podcast, Catching Killers, as they fuel their rise to fame by making enemies with various influencers and content creators. Before long, these controversies seep into reality, pushing relationships to the brink in the name of an online power play, leading camp chaos to ensue. 

With a tasteful blend of comedic cringe and earnestness, the writing was sharp and the delivery full of wit. The script catered perfectly for the breadth of talent in the cast with its many leading roles.  Emily Napolitano’s portrayal of Kennedy took full control from the moment of lights up, belting out hit songs and drawing the audience into the complexities of her friendship with the charmingly independent yet swooning Susan D’Souza as Ryan. Complementing these intelligent, pragmatic figures, the ditzy influencer Chelsea Scott was played to perfection by Tinka Arlt, with particular vocal prowess making the trio’s a cappella moment in ‘Change’ a highlight of the performance.

Rounding out the powerhouse leading ladies is Nikita Mohar-Williams as the internet’s queen of drama, T, deftly navigating us through online world of these characters with unmatched charisma. The energy shared by Finn Corr and Crystal So as Chad White and Box was palpable and wholly captivating, coming to fruition especially during their show-stealing duet ‘Nowhere’, as they bounced around, creatively staging an online multiplayer game with great success. An Dang’s Bailey Kiss held an aura of micro-fame superiority and had wonderful chemistry with the whole cast. Bolstered by a multi-talented ensemble, the cast displayed true professionalism throughout every aspect of the performance. 

Alongside the tight six-piece band, led by Music Director Sadie Mustoe, the show featured original hits including ‘Pity the Fool,’ ‘Perfect for You,’ and ‘AITA (Am I the Asshole?)’ which would fit right into the theatre soundtrack playlist I have on rotation. Having the songs take place within the characters’ reality allowed for great success in furthering the plot and enabling comedic call backs. There was one odd moment in which the whole ensemble appears at the climax of an otherwise seemingly private song, however, the powerful participation of the full ensemble very nearly justifies this decision. 

However, due to the acoustics of live, open pit performance, the band playing in full force occasionally drowned out the singers—though never long enough to seriously upset the flow of performance. The rhythm section drove much of the energy of the songs, particularly through a locked-in groove between drums (Mateo Garcia at night and Andrew Millar for the matinee) and bass (Silas Harris), assisted by the keyboard (Solomon Britton) and guitar (Alec Stalder) which shifted between rhythmic and melodic lines. With such a solid foundation, the reeds (Kevin Woodhouse) and violin (Max Coleman) were free to dance above it all and play with the vocal melodies. The music was a joy to listen to, performed with enthusiasm and expertise.

The costuming (Vanshika Bhatnagar) and hair and makeup (Vaishnavi Ravikrishna) perfectly balanced the characters’ internet stereotypes whilst feeling natural and contemporary. Steph McNally and Maddy Saxton’s tastefully pared back and refined choreography was a similar triumph. While a full-blown dance number could have been a wonderful addition to the show, their choreographic restraint allowed the high-level acting and singing to take centre-stage.

The direction (Director Ethan Francis-D’Amour and Co-Director Matthew McDonald) and choreography made creative use of the large stage space and set design by Nathan Dinh and Andrea Garcia. This was most notable with the flexibility of the gamer chairs and moveable boxes, paired with the large projections. The central doorway pulled focus perhaps a little more than intended, but its role as an intermediary space combining both the projections of the online world and the stage world to which the actors are physically limited was used to great effect in moments of live recap. 

The main projections, though occasionally difficult to read across the curtains or with the stage lighting, was put to good use with highly effective live chat comments for the influencer’s streams, video cuts of breaking internet news and clear signalling of the actor’s online behaviours—and who could forget the audience participation polling! Maintaining engagement throughout the intermission by allowing the audience to vote on Kennedy’s AITA reddit post and give feedback on the performance was an ingenious move which sparked conversation and excitement, using technology dramatically and in line with Under the Influence’s themes.  

Playfully lighting the show in block colours and splashes of rainbow, Vanessa Chan’s design elevated the performance and worked cohesively with Max Vrancic’s immersive soundscape. Keeping the high-tech show running smoothly was Stage Manager Madeleine Cheale and Assistant Stage Manager Maleea Hegarty. 

Stylistically, though, the blackouts at the end of each scene felt a little out of place. By forcing a reflective pause between the otherwise short, snappy scenes, the transitions seemed to contradict the written pacing. Perhaps music (either underscoring or some choice pop songs) alongside some flashy lights could have facilitated the scene changes in a way that better matched the high octane energy of the rest of the performance.

From references to Chicago’s ‘Cell Block Tango’ in ‘Bad News’ with silhouettes backlit by red lighting to the quoting of Rent’s‘Seasons of Love’, there were numerous nods to theatre heritage hidden throughout the show. These fun acknowledgements helped support the cheeky attitude of the story, acknowledging its theatrical inspiration and cultural source materials.

The let-down of the show was the captioning. Though its unique YouTube (or, indeed, MeTube) comment format was initially promising, the caption slides were distracting from the success of the action onstage. With limited accuracy to the lines delivered and slides both out of order and dramatically out of time with the performance, I doubt that the captions were able to provide the intended accessibility to anyone relying on them. Particularly in a production which championed diversity both onstage and in its writing, it was a disappointment that this same diversity was not supported in the audience. 

Nevertheless, the show prevailed. Tactful handling of the intricacies of online relationships, the internet’s influences on our everyday lives and the nuances of trust and privacy drew out themes and conflicts highly relevant to a young, contemporary audience. Though heightened for the stage and set in the world of internet micro-fame, these considerations are especially pertinent to our existence in an increasingly changeable online world. 

Ultimately, Under the Influence decides it can live with a little bit of controversy, wanting to hear equally from people who loved the show and hated it—and you know which side I am firmly on. 

In order: Ryan (Susan D’Souza), Kennedy (Emily Napolitano), Box (Crystal So), Chelsea Scott (Tinka Arlt), Bailey Kiss (An Dang), and Chad White (Finn Corr) and T (Nikita Mohar-Williams).

Four Letter Word Theatre’s Under the Influence ran October 13th to 15th at the new Union Theatre.

---

Sophie Barker (she/her) is a chronic rambler and overthinker, studying music and liberal arts in Naarm/Melbourne. She unleashes these tendencies onto any media and audience possible.