What happens when two strangers meet after the endless swiping, matching and messaging of modern dating? Strategic Love Play sees playwright Miriam Battye turn the awkwardness of a first date into something much more unpredictable.
Presented by Sharehouse Production Company in association with Flight Path Theatre, the production places two strangers in a confined, familiar space and allows their conversation to spiral from uncomfortable small talk into something increasingly intimate, strange and honest.
Performed in the relatively small Flight Path Theatre, the proximity between the audience and performers makes the experience feel almost voyeuristic. Rather than watching a relationship unfold from a comfortable distance, the audience feels as though they have been placed directly at the table with these two people, witnessing a date that perhaps feels a little too personal.
The play explores the exhaustion and absurdity of contemporary dating and the pressure to determine whether a stranger might be “the one” after a single meeting.
Director Ava Rusch finds a strong balance between the comedy and discomfort of Battye’s writing, allowing the awkwardness of the characters’ interactions to sit naturally rather than forcing the humour. The production feels deliberately contained, yet never static, with the direction making effective use of the space and the performers’ physical and emotional proximity.
The design is executed extremely well. Both lighting and sound played an important role in shaping the production’s atmosphere, subtly shifting the audience between the awkwardness, humour and increasing intensity of the date.
Rather than simply supporting the action, the design helps create the intimate and slightly unsettling world of Strategic Love Play, making the audience feel immersed in the experience alongside the characters.
Stage manager Matilda Holton deserves recognition for running a controlled and cohesive production, particularly given the unpredictable nature of the material. The technical and performance elements work together to maintain the rhythm and atmosphere of the piece.
Performers Georgia-Paige Theodos and Caleb Jamieson bring energy and commitment to characters who are not always easy to understand or like. Their chemistry keeps the audience invested even when the conversation begins to take unexpected turns.
Both performers are able to embrace the awkwardness of the situation, making the performance feel extremely familiar. Together they capture the strange contradictions of dating: wanting connection while simultaneously wanting to escape it.
This unpredictability can occasionally work against the production. There were moments where I felt somewhat lost about where the characters were coming from. Some of the things they said or did appeared sporadic, making it difficult to understand their motivations or how the conversation had arrived at a particular point.
This could be read as a deliberate challenge from the production. The characters are complex, and the audience is not necessarily given every piece of information required to immediately understand them.
In this sense, the confusion can place the audience in a similar position to the characters themselves: trying to figure out another person based on fragments of information. Nevertheless, there were moments where I felt that this complexity needed more clarity.
Despite this, the production remains compelling because it refuses to make modern romance feel simple. Rather than presenting dating as a straightforward search for connection, Strategic Love Play exposes the awkwardness, exhaustion and unpredictability involved in trying to understand another person. Its comedy emerges from this discomfort, while its intimacy ensures that the audience cannot simply sit back and observe.
Strategic Love Play is a strong example of what independent theatre can achieve. With an emerging creative team and cast, Sharehouse Production Company demonstrates the value of creating opportunities for young artists to take creative risks and tell contemporary stories.
While the production may occasionally leave its audience searching for answers, perhaps that is part of its appeal. Like dating itself, Strategic Love Play does not always make sense, but it keeps you interested enough to stay for the next conversation.
Strategic Love Play is presented by Sharehouse Production Company in association with Flight Path Theatre and ran to 29 August 2026. 142 Addison Road Marrickville NSW 2204.
The season has now ended.
Website: https://www.flightpaththeatre.org/whats-on/strategic-love
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/sharehouseproductionco/
Photo credits: Clarence Lin Thien
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