Angus Cameron’s Australian Open, currently serving aces at Theatre Works, as part of the 2026 Midsumma Festival, is a thrilling, intelligent and unexpectedly tender piece of theatre.
Under Riley Spadaro’s assured and confident direction, the play unfolds with a striking sense of rhythm and control. Spadaro knows exactly when to let the dialogue rally and when to pause, deftly unpacking the script’s themes of gay marriage, monogamy, queer representation, self-fulfilment and sport. The result is a production that feels both tightly calibrated and emotionally generous.
Working together with remarkable cohesion, the cast is uniformly stellar. Eddie Orton brings a compelling mix of vulnerability and measured force to Lucas, revealing emotional depth beneath the wit and bravado, while Sebastian Li’s Felix is sharp, charming and layered in a performance that never reaches for easy sympathy. Orton and Li’s dynamic captures the play’s central tensions around intimacy, commitment and the expectations placed on queer relationships.
Jane Montgomery Griffiths is a standout as Belinda (Bee). With a performance of intelligence and strength, she anchors the ensemble while delivering some of the sharpest and most resonant lines in Cameron’s script. Alec Gilbert’s Peter is rendered with nuance and restraint, and Melissa Kahraman brings emotional texture and clarity to Annabelle
Harry Gill’s tennis-court inspired design is both striking and functional, transforming the space into a symbolic arena where personal, political and emotional battles play out. Sidney Younger’s lighting design sculpts the space with precision, shifting mood and focus seamlessly, while Jack Burmeister’s sound design underscores the action with a level of familiarity, enhancing rather than overpowering the storytelling.
Australian Open is an impressive and confident addition to the Midsumma program, one that understands both the game it references and the emotional endurance sport of being human.
Australian Open
Theatre Works, 14 Acland Street, St Kilda
Performance: Thursday 22 January 2026
Season continues to 31 January 2026
Information and Bookings: www.theatreworks.org.au
Images: Eddie Orton as Lucas – photo by Sarah Clarke | Melissa Kahraman as Annabelle, Eddie Orton as Lucas and Sebastian Li as Felix – photo by Sarah Clarke | Jane Montgomery Griffiths as Belinda and Alex Gilbert as Peter – photo by Sarah Clarke
Review: Rohan Shearn