'Troy's House' (2023) SUDS: Review

First created and performed for SUDS in 1999, Troy’s House returns to The Cellar Theatre 24 years after its debut at the helm of director Bella Wellstead and producer Luna Ng. Much has changed in the two decades since (the Vengaboys’ popularity, for example) but one thing remains constant: being 18 fucking sucks. Written by Tommy Murphy when he was actually 18, Troy’s House dissects a world of adolescent rebellion and debauchery as the cast of eclectic antiheroes cope with impending adulthood.

Image Credit: SUDS

Set in 1997 suburban Canberra, we follow Troy (Harrison Walker) a rascal whose life revolves around playing Nintendo games, sparring with his single mother (Maddie Lewis), and prematurely ejaculating in nonstop sex with his girlfriend Tania (Maddie Kunstler). Joining them are Troy and Tania’s childhood friend Felicity (Sahana Athreya), her new enigmatic beau Ben (Edward Clifford), and two irreverent thought fairies, Willy (Daniel Prichard) and Fanny (Nasrin Keast*). Throughout the 2-hour runtime, the audience is treated to a spectacle of biting satirical commentary, sensorily overwhelming drug trips, and characters you hate so much you end up loving.

The other half of the title–the House–is disgusting and wonderful, brought to mouldy life with fantastic set design by Katarina Butler (assisted by Charlotte Meg Tan and Ella McGrath), whose Playboy posters and crude drawings make the space feel both homely and squalid, amplified by the dinginess of the Cellar. Each scene was painted in gorgeous lighting design (Mali Lung assisted by Ting-Jen Kuo) of which neon tones and abrupt switches completely immersed me into rhythms of the action. Sound design (Dom Young) was another standout; it felt like every time the Nintendo came on or soft jazz played at a café, I was right there with them.

By the intermission, it was clear that the foundation that Troy’s house is built on is liminality. The liminal area between teendom and adulthood, between Sydney and Melbourne, between friends and enemies, between ad breaks. Everything that happens within is transitional and temporary: “all we do [at Troy’s house] is recount the last event and talk about the next one.” Still, just because it’s where none of the action happens doesn’t mean it’s not where the emotional core of the play is. In fact, the only time I felt the play dragged was when the characters briefly ventured out to the Parliament House. Scenes set outside Troy’s house felt as if to placemake and remind the audience of the wider Canberran context, but it really didn’t need it. The ennui of Canberra hangs in every word, every discussion, every crevice, constantly informing how characters live.

Where Troy’s House really shines though, is the effervescent energy of the performers, as the entire cast delivers astounding performances all around. Particular shoutouts must be given to Lewis’ immense performance of Troy’s working-class, cat-killing, marijuana-growing mother; and Prichard's commitment to the bit in every scene, not once missing a comedic beat. This cast created a world so lived in with characters so rambunctious and real that by the emotional climax my heart grew heavy at the prospect of leaving them, like their unwillingness to leave adolescence.

As ending dance sequences closed out the show, featuring a Vengaboys performance by Clifford in drag (choreographed by Kai Wang), I began reflecting on my own post-Year 12 summer. My experiences were notably less debauched than those of Troy and co’s, but Wellstead’s portrayal of a time so fraught with uncertainty and change felt tender, empathetic, and whole. Troy’s House is a revival that is both time-bound and timeless, relevantly understood by the audience of university students enamoured by the show. I left knowing that being 18 will always fucking suck, but it’s comforting that it sucked for everyone else too.

*Note: Nasrin Keast was unable to perform on October 30 and the role of Fanny was filled in by director Bella Wellstead.

CAST
Felicity Hungerford: Sahana Athreya
Ben Death: Edward Clifford
Troy Tate: Harrison Walker
Tania Fooks: Maddie Kunstler
Fanny Thought Fairy: Nasrin Keast
Willy Thought Fairy: Daniel Prichard
Diane Tate: Maddie Lewis

CREW
Director: Bella Wellstead
Assistant Director: Nikki Eghlimi
Producer: Luna Ng
Assistant Producer: Rubba Shahid
Dramaturg (Canberra Consultant): Gemma Hudson
Set Designer: Katarina Butler
Set Assistant: Charlotte Meg Tan, Ella McGrath
Costume Designer: Ruby Lewis-Millar
Costume Assistants: Alexis Nguyen, Ella McGrath
Sound Designer: Dom Young
Lighting Designer: Mali Lung
Lighting Assistant: Ting-Jen Kuo
Graphic Designers: Amelia Vogelsang & Robert Hoang
Stage Managers: Elodie Roumanoff & Louise-Gala Quentin
Choreographer: Kai Wang
Photographer: Tarini Mehta
Production Assistants: David Thane, Ella McGuire, Nirusha Mahendran