When life is falling apart, can AI help mend a broken heart?
Black Swan State Theatre Company presents the world premiere of Day (After Day) In The Life Of The Useless, a razor sharp and unexpectedly moving new comedy from acclaimed Western Australian playwright and performer Will O’Mahony, playing at the Heath Ledger Theatre until 20 September 2026.
What is the best way to get over an ex? For Pete, the answer is surprisingly simple. After being dumped just days before his wedding – his fiancée calling him “a robot” before leaving for a new lover – he turns to artificial intelligence for guidance.
“The best revenge is living well,” the chatbot replies in just 1.49 seconds. If only it were that easy.
Directed by Adam Mitchell and performed by a cast of five, this brand-new Black Swan commission follows Pete as he attempts to rebuild his life one spectacular misstep at a time. What unfolds is a wildly entertaining spiral of disastrous own goals, awkward encounters and crushing bad luck.
Day (After Day) In The Life Of The Useless explores broken hearts, obsolescence, and the absurd and terrifying comforts of living in-step with AI.
Will O’Mahony’s signature blend of incisive humour and emotional honesty shines through in this timely new work. It offers a deeply relatable portrait of what it means to start over when life refuses to follow the script.
O’Mahony says the play examines the messy reality of trying to move forward after life takes an unexpected turn:
“When it rains, it pours. When things go wrong, they often go wrong all at once and, despite our best efforts, nothing can hold back the tide. This play I hope is many things but I think of one of them is the sheer heroism in trying to course correct a life that has been knocked silly.”
O’Mahony says he hopes audiences recognise something of themselves in Pete’s ‘fish out of water’ experience.
“Pete wakes up to a world that looks the same, sounds the same, but is decidedly not the same. Yet despite getting almost everything wrong, he keeps showing up, he keeps giving his best — as flawed and human as those ‘bests’ may be.
I think that’s something we can all relate to, even admire. The absurd resilience in getting up tomorrow and having another crack, even when we’re battered and bruised and seemingly cursed.”
Darkly funny, but painfully true, Day (After Day) In The Life Of The Useless asks questions that are both timely and timeless: What happens when life doesn’t go to plan? Can you hold onto yourself, let alone reinvent yourself, when everything is falling apart?
How does a human rest and recover when we’ve built a relentless network that refuses to slow down? And are our AI overlords already among us, hiding in plain sight?
Day (After Day) In The Life Of The Useless is presented by Black Swan State Theatre Company and runs to 20 September. Heath Ledger Theatre, State Theatre Centre of WA. 174 – 176 William Street Perth WA 6000.
Tickets are available at the website.
Website: https://blackswantheatre.com.au/season-2026/day-after-day-in-the-life-of-the-useless
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/blackswanstc/
Photo credits: Daniel J Grant
Warnings: Contains coarse language, references to suicide, and mild violence.
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