Few productions manage to be as bitingly funny, emotionally urgent, and theatrically inventive as Trophy Boys, written by Emmanuelle Mattana (she/they) and directed with razor-sharp precision by Marni Mount (she/they).
Already the winner of Best New Work at the 2024 Sydney Theatre Awards and multiple Greenroom Award nomination, this return season in Melbourne more than justifies the hype, it’s an unmissable piece of contemporary Australian theatre, that has also made it mark overseas with a recent sold-out season in New York.
From the moment Ben Andrews’ design drops us squarely into the regimented classroom of the elite St Imperium College, we know we’re in for something at once familiar and subversive. What follows is a blistering dissection of privilege, power, and the toxic performance of masculinity that cloaks itself in academic and athletic achievement.
At the heart of the production is an ensemble who never miss a beat. Myfanwy Hocking (they/them) brings a nuanced vulnerability to Owen, whose attempts to navigate identity and expectation anchor the play with humanity. Gaby Seow (she/her), nominated for a Greenroom Award for Best Performer, is magnetic as Scott, commanding the stage with charisma while revealing cracks in the armour of ambition.
Leigh Lule (she/they) as David offers sharp wit and emotional depth, embodying both bravado and insecurity in equal measure. Fran Sweeney Nash (they/them) rounds out the quartet as Jared with a performance of layered fragility and cocksure ‘I love women’ bravado.
Mattana’s writing is electric – witty, incisive, and unafraid of moments of tenderness amidst the satire. Mount’s direction, meanwhile, is taut and inventive, balancing the high-stakes energy of a schoolyard battlefield with moments of startling intimacy. The result is a show that crackles with tension, laughter, and a chilling relevance to the world beyond the classroom walls.
Trophy Boys is theatre that speaks urgently to our cultural moment, interrogating systems of privilege with humour, empathy and precision. Its return to Melbourne is a gift to audiences – don’t miss the chance to see it!
Trophy Boys
Fairfax Studio – Arts Centre Melbourne, 100 St Kilda Road, Melbourne
Performance: Tuesday 12 August 2025
Season continues to 24 August 2025
Information and Bookings: www.artscentremelbourne.com.au
Following its Melbourne season, Trophy Boys will be presented in the Cremorne Theatre – QPAC, Brisbane, from 25 – 30 August 2025.
Images: Trophy Boys – photos by Ben Andrews
Review: Rohan Shearn