NOW

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https://www.theatreworks.org.au/2026/now

Date Reviewed: 26/02/2026

“There’s no need for a new world!”

The Explosive Factory is perfect for this kind of show. Other plays I have seen at this venue have been narrow explorations into real life with a small, dedicated cast.

The show, interestingly, began with an emotional monologue from the creator that was also a delightful welcome to country. It opens the evening on a grounded note, inviting the audience into the world of the play with care.

Masterfully written by Helene Tardif, who also performs, Now demands a great deal from its audience. That demand feels appropriate in an original work that is wrestling with complex ideas. The pacing is relentless at first, offering little room to breathe. The impact of COVID on individuals lives can never truly be measured. For some people it demonstrated where people’s priorities lay. For others, it exposed the extent of government intervention in times of crisis. It tested ethics as much as it tested physical endurance.

In Now, COVID becomes a launching point for a broader examination of artificial living and the challenge of being present. Society seems increasingly preoccupied with either nostalgia or digital immersion, staring into the abyss in search of meaning. What even is a substantial life nowadays. In Now we see that in X’s spirituality, the One’s embracing of technology and the Father’s adherence to tradition. While they all may oppose each other in theory, they are all afraid of living a life unfulfilled.

Tardif positions parenthood as a watershed moment. It brings The One out of the online world, brings X and Father together. It unifies our characters. Maybe not happily but it is better to have something to cling to if you are cast into the endless ocean that is life. While I don’t think the play provides a clear solution for the problems it’s presents its audience, it challenges an individuals preconceived ideas about choosing whether to be true or real. A generous reading of Now, would say it is the concept of love and being wanted. Rather than children or family brings our characters together peacefully.

Rather than stare into the void and scream about how nothing matters or pursue a salve to the issues you feel. Embrace the nothingness and spend time enriching the lives of those around you through kindness, honesty and good deeds. Now I sound like a church not a theatre review.

Now has some really clever, well established set design and lighting that works effectively to demonstrate shifts in character’s power and authority. I particularly enjoyed the performance of Andrew Drava. They took what was a complex character and performed with sympathy and empathy what could have become a stereotype very quickly.

I did enjoy the production, though it felt less like a dark comedy than advertised. It works more convincingly as an abstract dystopian drama with moments of humour. Offering a thoughtful exploration of escapism, pandemic life, and reality. I really enjoyed seeing such a tight, well-written piece of work like this on Melbourne stages.

Reviewed by Nicolas Van Der Haar