Review: The Critical Last Chance Years, Vol. 3

Review by Katrina Couzens

Late on Saturday night (20th July, 8pm), I took a bus out to Tingalpa, a suburb I didn’t know existed because, even though it is only a 30min bus ride away from where I live, it’s in the opposite direction to the way I usually go. My destination was On The Boards Theatre. My purpose, to see the opening performance of the Critical Last Chance Years, Vol. 3.

The stage is set for a comedy about life at 50. At our tables, we had all the trappings of celebration—bubbles, streamers, confetti—and instructions to use them as the mood took us. Soon, the little theatre space was predictably filled with bubbles and laughter. And then Amy (played by Zoe Georgakis) arrived on stage.

A one-person play really hinges on the energy and charisma of its performer, and Zoe was captivating. In Amy, she captured something simultaneously relatable and grotesque, and I found myself falling into the same kind of anxious horror that Amy herself seemed to be going through, as she came to terms with her life and what she wanted—but didn’t get—from it.

Being a musical, a lot of the ‘plot’ (or maybe ‘emotional rollercoaster’ is a better term) is delivered in song lyrics, and there were a few songs where the balance between the band and Zoe’s vocals made it hard to follow exactly what was going on. The vibes (from music, lighting, and choreography) were strong enough to carry the emotional through-line, but both my friend and I found ourselves getting a little lost, particularly towards the climax.

I loved On the Boards as a venue. It’s a simple space, but the table-and-chairs cabaret-style set-up made it feel very intimate for a general-purpose theatre space. I’m definitely keen to see more shows here, especially given it’s so close!

Overall, I recommend the Critical Last Chance Years. It’s a fun, somewhat unhinged exploration of regret, fate, and acceptance.