One Day In September:
The New Aussie Hit

It’s a game that’s inherently Australian, spanning over a century with a legacy to match. It makes or breaks its players and captures the attention of Aussies every year, so it’s unsurprising that the AFL has finally bled into the world of musical theatre.

One Day In September is the story of Sam Thompson (Keanu Gonzalez), a member of fictional AFL team the Melbourne Bears, who becomes entangled in a romance with Sophie (Lorinda May Merrypor) to cover up his relationship with Jesse (Yashith Fernando). With Sophie herself drawn to the glamour and the platform of being an AFL WAG (Wives And Girlfriends for those out of the know), her discovery of Sam’s sexuality becomes leverage for her to pursue the spotlight she’s always wanted… until she realises this wasn’t the way she wanted it. In a team full of players (and WAGs) facing their personal and professional battles, this musical delicately holds a magnifying glass up behind the curtain of Australia’s game.

Rounding out the featured cast are seasoned performers Catty Hamilton, Olivia Charalambous, Zoe Ioannou, Mia Dabkowski-Chandler, Joshua Russell, Axel Duffy, Lachie Beck and David Duketis. Each cast member gives this their all, and you can feel the pride they share in being a part of this project. Charalambous in particular is hilarious as Jen, from the moment she first steps on the stage and delivers the line “shit’s fucked”. Russell is also one to watch as Bears captain TJ, trying desperately to keep his teammates in line (and comically letting loose at the Brownlow in “Better Than This”).

As washed-up AFL veteran Nathan, Des Flanagan perfectly grapples with the age-old struggle of an athlete past their prime: What happens when you can no longer do the one thing you’ve always been valued for? Flanagan moves from feisty, to shattered, to comic relief effortlessly, and his final address to the Bears saw a couple of tears shed in the audience.

Riding the highs and lows alongside Nathan is his partner Maya, portrayed beautifully by Ashleigh Rubenach. Also Jesse’s sister, Maya is the rock beside every character in the story, and Rubenach plays into the doting mother figure seamlessly. Her performance of “What Happens Now”, the moment Maya puts herself first and decides what she wants, blew me away.

Lorinda May Merrypor stuns as Sophie, a young woman recently moved from Perth who is lassoed into the spotlight by the allure of being an AFL WAG. Despite the strong pop quality of her vocals occasionally making some lyrics indistinguishable, her conflicted performance as Sophie is wound tighter and tighter into a web of lies is so intricate and fascinating to watch. 

Just outside the beam of the spotlight, Yashith Fernando is Jesse, Sam’s hidden beau. While integral to the storyline, Fernando’s numbers are less punchy and more cogs in the storytelling wheel, seeking to fill the gaps in the origins of Jesse and Sam’s relationship. Of all of the characters, Jesse feels slightly less developed, almost too eager to jump out of his relationship with Sam, which removes some of the emotional gravity in their story together. Fernando does well, but I’d love to see this character feel a little more fleshed out.

As leading man Sam Thompson, we have Keanu Gonzalez. In a character that offers him more space to flex his muscles (vocally and literally), he delivers a touching performance of grief, indecision and feigned confidence as he wrestles with who he is and who he wants to be. Gonzalez never misses a beat, whether it’s with Mackenzie Dunn’s razor-sharp choreography or the true-blue dialogue of Maverick Newman and Kohan van Sambeek’s book. I can’t wait to see this show progress further with him at the forefront.

In an absolute standout of this production, Mackenzie Dunn deserves endless accolades for her ingenious choreography. Bringing the often jarring and gritty game of Aussie rules into a format as elegant as dance demands skill, and Dunn has delivered. Incorporating not just the game, but the warmups, and even creating magic with seamless incorporation of footballs. In “Unbreakable”, you could almost be taking a seat at the ‘G to watch a match rather than picking a chair at the Athenaeum.

Some other behind-the-scenes shout outs have to be made for Tim Bonser’s lighting design and Bianca Pardo’s costuming. Pardo captures the WAG fashion perfectly and decks the boys out in a fierce guernsey design (the new Tassie team should take notes). The only fallback is Sophie’s lacklustre Brownlow dress, which is also perplexingly paired with a set of leather knee-high boots. Not totally unrealistic for a Brownlow attendee, but not an overly flattering get-up either.

All of this aside, it was a privilege to witness something built by Australians, for Australians, about Australians. Aussie works are always phenomenal, and One Day In September cuts straight to the bone of our culture, celebrating what makes us who we are (excessive cussing, getting on the piss and making sure you’ve “grabbed your gear” all included). AFL fans and theatre fans alike simply have to see it to believe it.

One Day In September is only running this weekend, with performances on Friday at 1pm and 7pm and Saturday at 2pm and 7pm. Tickets are selling quickly, and you won’t want to miss out on the chance to be one of the first to witness this new Aussie production.

Secure your tickets at Ticketmaster now!

This review is based upon the performance of One Day In September on the 28th of November, 2024.

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