All Boys Review
ATYP’s reviewing program was created to give young people a platform to voice their opinions and experiences while developing skills in critical reflection. The views expressed are those of the writer and do not reflect the views of ATYP or its staff.
Braeden Caddy in ALL BOYS, 2024. Photo by Nicholas Warrand – every other theatre company
12.9.2024
All Boys traces the intertwining lives of 11 boys attending affluent Sydney all-boys school, Saints, through a series of beautifully crafted vignettes. Pee before you sit because it’s a hefty run time, 130 minutes, yet nothing drags. No scene overstays its welcome and you will be drawn in from the minute you step foot in the space.
What do I love about all boys? So much, but let’s start here. An all girls creative team.
As is usually the case with independent theatre this team has done A LOT with very little. The production design (Rebecca Howarth) is as minimal as it is meticulous and extremely transformative, marrying with stunning lighting (Isobel Morrissey) and sound design (Amy Norton). Every element sings together. A special shout out to the ‘tent’ scenes, personal favourites, which were so beautiful.
Mehhma Malhi made her professional directorial debut with All Boys and this woman is a force. Malhi navigates this story with such tenderness. Not only is the direction technically flawless, it was done with such nuance. Traverse theatre is no joke. It’s a difficult space to work with. Malhi makes it look easy.
Ashan Kumar & Leon Walshe in ALL BOYS, 2024. Photo by Nicholas Warrand – every other theatre company
Now let’s talk about the boys, the boys of All Boys. This show is ensemble theatre at its finest. Every single actor showed up in a major way. This is not an easy show as an artist. It is emotionally taxing and physically demanding. It can only be executed by a team as generous with their work as this one.
At the centre of all this fantastic work is the words. The words, the words, the words. All the sugary goodness of nods to Glee and Gaga hand in hand with gut-churning reality. The play is current in a timeless way. Hazard’s experience, in his own words, “as an insider and an outsider” is exactly why the writing soars. It is deeply personal.
While it is dramatised, as is most good theatre, what made me wince was the knowledge that this play is far from fictional. Every scene is rooted firmly in reality. Which is why the work feels so urgent. As a woman I have many complicated feelings towards men. I love and fear and resent them. Especially this year, when one woman is killed by an intimate partner every 11 days, when I get up twice at night to make sure my door is locked, when I check under my car before getting in.
This is not a play that screams at its audience, that beats them over the head with a grand message, that begs you to think or feel; but you will. When you leave that theatre you will think and feel deeply. You will see your brother, your father, your best friend on that stage. All the ways in which we mess up our boys and then they mess up each other.
But, spoiler alert, Hazard doesn’t lay out an answer. There is no magic number or game plan. This play isn’t the fix. But it is a step. The beginning of a conversation.
This play made me feel deeply empowered and extremely proud of the beautiful people who brought this show to life. For the sake of transparency, you should know I cannot write completely unbiasedly. Malhi, Hazard and much of the cast and creatives are friends of mine. But this, albeit gushing, review reflects the work as I see it. And I’m completely sure you will agree.
All Boys is running for a strictly limited season at KXT until the 21st . If you see nothing else this year, see this. And bring your boys. Because this conversation is long overdue.
Content warning: This show contains discussion and depictions of violence, sexual abuse, child sexual abuse, adult themes and strong language. Recommended 16+.
★★★★★
— Caitlin Green