REVIEWED BY ELIJAH VALERY SLAVINSKIS
EDITED BY CHARLOTTE FRASER
“Thank you for coming to my very public, very expensive therapy session” writes playwright Dax Carnay-Hanrahan in the program for Mr Big AKA Tatay, A Transwoman And That Tiring Tune (June 24th – July 5th @fortyfivedownstairs).
Diana (Carney-Hanrahan), a trans immigrant, is preparing for her wedding, when she finds out her dad has died. Diana starts to be haunted by the ghost of her recently deceased, estranged father, however, this is not a normal ghost story. Diana’s haunting comes in the form of a disembodied voice that will not stop singing “To be with you” (her father’s favourite song) by the band Mr Big, which is undeniably a hilarious concept.
We jump back and forth between wedding preparations in present day Melbourne and 90s Manila which follows Diana’s father, Joey (Trevor Santos) and his wannabe rockstar persona. In these flashbacks we learn that Joey is also being haunted by Mr Big’s hit song. The intrusive distortion of the sound design (Ben Keene) filled the intimate venue, making the presence of the song unignorable whenever it played, challenging the show’s comedic tone with immense discomfort. The repeated use of this particular song in both “timelines” symbolised how Diana’s past traumas have seeped into her present life, most significantly the strained relationship with her father.
Walking back out onto Flinders Lane feeling like a post-viewing soft serve I was wracking my brain about how to best describe this undeniably unique and original vision presented by Carnay-Hanrahan and director Beng Oh. However, I really should have read through the program before watching the show as for me the best and only way to encapsulate the content, the style and performance of Mr Big is right there on the page – a “very public therapy session.”
Emotional yet funny, compact yet messy, angry yet forgiving. In an ideal therapy session, you sit across from another person just to spill your guts out, you can jump from childhood traumas to the current sociopolitical climate of the world, from that guy who was rustling his chip packet in the middle of a sad scene, to a close friend you have lost recently. It’s your time and no one, not even the professional sitting across from you, should be able to tell you how to use it. In Mr Big, Carnay-Hanrahan tells the viewer that this is their time, and they will use it to air anything and everything that is on their mind. This is evident in how the production smashes a multiplicity of tones together – musical, comedy, drama, supernatural, even slapstick – creating a final product that is relentlessly original.
However, I found I appreciated and respected this sentiment far more than I outwardly enjoyed it. I found the patchwork of tones to be severely unbalanced, with many dramatic moments undermined by lacklustre jokes or awkward comedic performances particularly evident in scenes set in 90s Manila focussing on Joey and Dion, Diana’s deadname. These exchanges between Joey and Dion (Ken Paolo) are crucial for the audience to understand Diana’s anger towards her father but also to showcase the complicated nature of Joey’s actions which oscillate between being an adulterous husband, attempting to be a loving father to Dion and his lack of capacity to relate to any of Dion’s experiences as a transgender individual. I felt that while they shined in other moments, Santos and Paolo were disconnected from each other in many of their scenes together with their character choices clashing far more than narratively necessary. During Joey’s initial reaction to the musical ghost of Diana, the comedic performance given felt disconnected from the script.
That is not to say that the show’s comedy falls flat on its face. Sprinkled throughout the play are some movements of pure comedy gold, coming primarily in the form of an electric performance from Ayril Borce as Alfie, Diana’s best friend, complimented by Carnay-Hanrahan as Diana. One specific scene includes snorting cocaine, pants being pulled down, throwing slaps and chucking insults which had the entire theatre laughing out loud as well as being equally invested in the characters of Diana and Alfie.
I wonder if the play could have benefitted from staying in a dramatic vein for longer rather than reaching for laughs as there were a few scenes that truly left me with shivers. The standout moment comes towards the end of the play in which 90s Manila and modern-day Melbourne collide on stage. Diana and her fiancé, Jerry, are arguing about Diana’s lack of openness and poor communication regarding the recent passing of her dad as Jerry was completely oblivious about any of it. Simultaneously, Joey and his wife Tess clash about his affair. Set around the same table in the centre of the stage, Joey and Diana often speak in unison as Tess and Jerry float on and off the stage. Not only is it a turning point for Diana’s character but it highlights one of Carnay-Hanrahan key ideas that father and daughter, Diana and Joey are far more alike than they want to be. A relatable feeling for many that can be extremely difficult to come to terms with, however in this context also offers a sense of catharsis. To see the two central characters united in some way after witnessing Joey’s inability to connect with Dion earlier in the play, lays the groundwork for some form of posthumous reconciliation between Diana and her father.
It is also important to note that to see an entirely Filipino cast on stage was phenomenal, as a multicultural individual myself, it was incredible to see this level of representation on stage. While at times it feels as though Mr Big isn’t sure what kind of play it wants to be, it is undeniably loud and proud. Summed up perfectly in one of the final scenes as the entire cast steps up to the front of the stage and leads a sing-along of “To be with you” however it’s fair to say I’d like to never hear that tiring tune again.
Mr Big AKA Tatay, A Transwoman And That Tiring Tune? played at fortyfivedownstairs June 24 – July 5
ELIJAH VALERY SLAVINSKIS is a first year arts student, looking to major in Screen Studies and/or Art History. After being on stage a lot as a child, he is keen to explore opportunities behind the scenes and in the audience, like writing for The Dialog!
CHARLOTTE FRASER (she/her) is a writer, performer and editor based in Melbourne. She holds a BA in English and Theatre Studies and is currently completing her Masters degree at the University of Melbourne. Charlotte is also the 2026 Dialog Editor.
The Dialog is supported by Union House Theatre
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