Some plays entertain. Some provoke. Afterglow does something rarer, it disarms you, draws you close, and then quietly rearranges your understanding of love.
S. Asher Gelman’s internationally celebrated play arrives in Melbourne with the confidence of a global hit and the vulnerability of a late-night confession. What unfolds isn’t just a story about an open relationship, it’s a deeply human excavation of trust, longing, and the fragile negotiations that underpin modern intimacy.
The premise is deceptively simple: married couple Josh and Alex invite Darius into their bed for one night. But Gelman’s writing refuses sensationalism. Instead, he uses this encounter as an emotional prism, refracting desire into questions of ownership, honesty, and the quiet fears we carry even when we call ourselves “evolved.”
The script is razor-sharp and unexpectedly funny, balancing wry relationship humour with moments of piercing emotional exposure. You laugh, often, but it’s the kind of laughter that catches in your throat.
As director and choreographer, Gelman demonstrates extraordinary control over tone and physical storytelling. The movement is fluid, natural, and charged without ever feeling gratuitous. Every touch, glance, and pause carries narrative weight, thanks in no small part to Intimacy Director and Associate Movement Director Chloe Dallimore, whose work ensures the physical closeness reads as emotional truth rather than spectacle.
The cast of three is nothing short of electric. Julian Curtis brings quiet emotional precision to Alex, capturing the ache of someone trying to be both generous and secure while doubt creeps in at the edges. Matthew Mitcham’s Josh is warm, charismatic, and heartbreakingly human, and he walks the fine line between confidence and vulnerability with disarming ease.
As Darius, Matthew Predny imbues the “third” with depth, sensitivity, and a growing awareness that he is not just visiting a relationship, but becoming part of its fault lines. Together, their chemistry feels lived-in and dangerously real, you don’t feel like you’re watching actors, you feel like you’re witnessing private lives unfolding.
Ann Beyersdorfer’s set design evokes the sleek sophistication of an upscale New York apartment, using sharp black lines and reflective mirrored surfaces to create a space that feels both intimate and emotionally exposed.
The minimalism is deliberate, clean, modern, and quietly luxurious, allowing the characters’ shifting dynamics to take visual precedence. At its centre sits a fully realised shower, an arresting focal point that transforms an everyday fixture into a charged arena for connection, confrontation, and raw honesty.
Jamie Roderick’s lighting glows with warmth and shadow, mirroring emotional shifts with cinematic finesse. Lauren Peters’ costumes subtly track character dynamics, while Alex Mackyol’s sound design hums beneath the action like a pulse, amplifying tension and tenderness in equal measure.
What makes Afterglow truly resonate is its refusal to judge. It doesn’t present polyamory as utopian or cautionary. Instead, it asks a more universal question, how honest are we willing to be when love gets complicated? Bold, sensual, and deeply compassionate, Afterglow leaves its audience with lingering emotional warmth and a renewed awareness of how brave real connection requires us to be.
AFTERGLOW
Chapel Off Chapel, 12 Little Chapel Street, Prahran
Performance: Monday 2 February 2026
Season continues to 21 February 2026
Bookings: www.chapeloffchapel.com.au
Eternity Playhouse, 39 Burton Street, Darlinghurst
Season: 26 February – 22 March 2026
Bookings: www.afterglowtheplay.com.au
For more information, visit: www.afterglowtheplay.com.au for details.
Images: Matthew Predny, Matthew Mitcham and Julian Curtis in AFTERGLOW – photo by Cameron Grant, Parenthesy | Matthew Mitcham and Matthew Predny in AFTERGLOW – photo by Cameron Grant, Parenthesy | Matthew Mitcham and Julian Curtis in AFTERGLOW – photo by Cameron Grant, Parenthesy
Review: Rohan Shearn