Amber, written by and starring Nikita Waldron, is a story about true love. It was inspired by her own life experiences after losing her best friend, James, when she was 19 years old.
In this context, each action and reaction in the play, every metaphorical ‘punch’ lands twice. Once, because you buy into the characters and their story, and twice, when you question whether this moment was pulled from Waldron’s own life. It takes a great deal of artistic integrity to write about something so personal, lay it bare for the world to see, and relive it through performance night after night.
Amber follows the titular character (Nikita Waldron) as she grows up, starting when she is 15 years old and set up for her first kiss by her best friend Gabby (Esha Jessy). Whereupon, Luca (played by three different actors: Harry Stacey, Ashan Kumar and Kurt Ramjan) skateboards right into her life. But, as quickly as he entered, he leaves again, never to return.
Amber, a mess, ping-pongs her way between Luca’s friends, Harry, Felix and Hamish, trying to find some fragments of the Luca she lost. At its heart, Amber is more than a story of loss. It’s a testament to hope. It explores a love that stretches beyond time, and maybe even reason. In a world overwhelmed by fear and division, its emotional intensity feels especially vital right now.
Originally conceived more than ten years ago as a screenplay, the story has gone through many developments, including a crowd-funded TV pilot. Eventually, however, it became a stage play and won the Rebel Wilson Comedy Commission for ATYP in 2021.
As writer/performer, Nikita brings her script to life as only she can. She effortlessly rings true in all of Amber’s misgivings. Her earnestness in her asides to the audience is both funny and insightful. While there are other characters in the play, Amber acts more as a one-woman show. Nikita never leaves the stage for whole 90 minutes and delivers a detailed, nuanced performance.
Harry Stacey (as Luca 1 and Harry) plays a delectable douchebag with just enough sincerity not to lose the audience. Ashan Kumar (Luca 2 and Felix) delights in his roles, providing a counterbalance to Harry’s inconsistency. Kurt Ramjan (Luca 3 and Hamish) is the most level-headed and earnest of the three, portraying the love Amber needs as well as the one she deserves.
Esha Jessy is magnetic as Gabby. The best friend chemistry between herself and Nikita is believable on and off the stage. She gently portrays their transforming relationship through its stages of together, apart and together again.
Director Mehhma Malhi, fresh off her win for Best Emerging Director at the 2025 KXT Awards, holds this production together with gentle care and grace. She brings all the elements of theatre cohesively together to create a powerful piece about one girl’s journey through love and loss.
Hailley Hunt’s use of costume and, in particular, the set is inventive. Featuring panel cut outs in blue and pink, it creates a nice sense of depth and space. Composer and sound designer Madeleine Picard and lighting designer Isobel Morrissey work together to patch the vignettes of the story together, clearly delineating between past, present and future.
Amber is a love letter to those we’ve lost. But also to life itself, in all its heartbreak, unpredictability, and brief flashes of wonder. It asks us: what do you do with all the love you have for someone when you can’t give it to them? My answer: call or text whoever your people are today and tell them that you love them.
Amber runs until 11 April at the Old Fitz Theatre, 129 Dowling Street Woolloomooloo, 2011.
Tickets: https://www.oldfitztheatre.com.au/book-now
Website: https://www.oldfitztheatre.com.au/amber
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/oldfitztheatre/
Photo credits: Phil Erbacher
