★★★★★
Happy Feraren’s Savior, now in its world premiere at Griffin Theatre, presented in association with Belvoir St Theatre, is a deliciously sharp, fiercely intelligent comedy. Intoxicating, fast-moving, the show is full of unique, clever theatrical devices that keep you leaning in.
Drawing on her own time working for NGOs in the Philippines, Feraren’s play follows Michelle (Chrissy Mae Valentine), a local project officer who gets the gig of a lifetime at SAVIOR International after a typhoon devastates Tacloban.
All she has to do is impress her clueless American boss Joe (Michael Whalley), whose official title is J.E.S.U.S. (Joint Emergency Systems and Uplift Strategist) and try not to fall for him on Tinder.
Swiping Tinder and looking for a hook-up in the middle of a natural disaster? It’s comic brilliance. The bizarre relatability is immediately palpable, and the audience is tuned in from the get-go. And it’s not invented.
When Typhoon Yolanda hit in 2013, Feraren saw firsthand a flood of white aid workers appearing on Tinder. Some in military attire, others captioned “just here to help.” They came with relief goods but intended to quench their own thirst.
The opening is a little muddy, but it clears quickly. Deceptively starting like a surface-level satire, Savior proves otherwise as it gets smarter. The scene between Michelle and Janna (Valentine and Chaye Mogg) sets the comedy stage.
The technical device is brilliant: a responsive phone with sharp, interactive sound design. There’s lots of swiping, and the matches show up at the back of the stage as live profiles, speaking their bios in a variety of accents. Michael Whalley plays a myriad of hilarious characters here and is clearly a charismatic, versatile talent who claims the stage.
Feraren takes us into a disaster zone. Something very real that most of us watch on our phones from the comfort of our cosy couches. But she uses sharp, fast comedy to get us there, and then hits us with the reality seemingly out of nowhere, making it all the more impactful. The shift between witty humour and weighted drama isn’t easy to get right, but here it’s seamless.
Feraren has a background in improvisation, and this comes through in her playful, cheeky comic writing. The work is grounded, surprising, and the timing feels authentic in a way that only comes from someone who knows how to read a room.
If you’re a word nerd like me, you’ll love the wordplay here. “Every aid pack is donated, but nobody gives a pack. What the pack!?”
Feraren’s social commentary is totally tuned in. The consumption culture, the quick fix, the idea of humans as a product. I was recently asked for pics on a dating app before the conversation had even started. Um, hello? Nope. Just, show me the goods!
We’ve become a commodity to each other, a product like on eBay. Feraren gets this. Janna swipes through a parade of aid workers, on the ground and on the prowl, before setting Michelle up on the app.
The cast are all equally on point, each distinct in character, mannerisms and quirks. The scenes between Valentine and Whalley are a highlight. Their back-and-forth quips, the flirting but not flirting, is thrilling comedy.
Whalley is superb as the well-meaning but oblivious Joe. He plays the savior complex with breezy self-assurance and meticulous detail. The way he interacts with the space, particularly when the floor opens up as a pool, is a joy to watch.
Chaye Mogg as Janna is electric: quick, charismatic, with hilarious physicality and firecracker timing.
But it’s Mark Paguio who knocked me over. Magnetic, entertaining and highly talented, he flicks like a switch between moods and characters, sliding effortlessly between comedy and drama.
When he describes the destruction in the aftermath of the typhoon in Filipino, we don’t need to understand it. It’s all over his face, and the imagery is clear. He quietens the audience after all the laughter, and the imagery of destruction is all the more powerful because of it.
Kenneth Moraleda directs with astute precision, moving fluidly between tone and emotion so that when the serious moments arrive, they carry real weight.
Hailley Hunt’s staging is ingenious: like a puzzle with pieces easily moved by the actors, creating a lot with a very simple set. The brilliance of using the floor space, opening up one sliver to act as the pool, and later, disassembling the flooring to show the devastation of the typhoon.
To watch a disaster play out on our safe little screens is one thing. But going through it, losing your home, your loved ones, is a whole other story. One we think we’ll never have to deal with. Until we do. Savior is a story that has real impact, and this is comedy doing what it does best.
Happy Feraren’s Savior is presented by Griffin Theatre Company in association with Belvoir St Theatre. It runs to 14 June 2026 at Belvoir St’s Downstairs Theatre. Belvoir Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010.
Tickets: https://welcome.griffintheatre.com.au/overview/4760
Website: https://griffintheatre.com.au/whats-on/savior/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/griffintheatre/
Photo credits: Brett Boardman
