Theatre Review: Do Not Pass Go

The Performance: Do Not Pass Go by Jean Tong

The Theatre: The Lawlor, Southbank

Runtime: 75 Minutes

Stars: 4

The 2026 MTC program has got off to a good start with this little gem of a play. But this, I mean that this play, staged in the less used Lawler Theatre - a smaller, more intimate place is worth a look. Within the Lawler's proscenium arch two actors put on a wonderful performance about the people we work with, and how they slowly become a part of us. 

There were also a lot of themes which struck a chord. Working to live. Neurodiversity, sexual identity, families, and the live to work mentality that can be a part of some workplaces. A lot of it was really relatable. 

At the start of the play, we meet the prickly Penny (Belinda McCrory) who is busy doing what looks like her pointless job in a non-descript office. She is joined by Flux (Ella Prince), Penny's new workmate. Penny was happy working on her own. Flux challenges a lot of her thinking. Flux is everything Penny is not. Young, queer, wanting more. Penny's had a lot of her desires beaten out of her. Flux is just starting out and wanting more of the world. 

Both actors are great. For me, I understood McCrory's Penny almost at a cellular level, while Ella Prince's Flux let us into a very different life and lifestyle, which Penny eventually begins to understand and appreciate. I've seen Prince in Bell Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. They're great.

Within the hour and a quarter of the play, we really get to the root of work relationships look like. Starting from that person you only tolerate, through to the person you count on more than almost anybody else, all they while performing pointless tasks which never quite meet management expectations. Yep, that's work. 

The minimalist set - a very boring office and warehouse space is also part of this play's charm. Windowless, and unadorned, how are people supposed to thrive?

Jean Tong's acerbic script is darkly funny, putting a spotlight on modern workplaces and the relationships they create. I also liked that the two protagonists had identifiable struggles - Penny's neurodiversity rang a lot of bells for me. 

Directed by Katy Maudlin, this play keeps you entertained for its duration. The Lawler Theatre, a more intimate black box space that seats around 160 people, felt good. This smaller space drives home the eventual intimacy that grows between these two colleagues. 

As I said, the MTC is off to a good start this year. 

Today's song: 

Dev Card: Why write?

It’s been another long day, and an even longer one is to be had tomorrow. Therefore, I believe that doing a quick Dev card might be the way to go. I’m writing this while I’m lying on the couch dictating this into my phone, because I am that tired. As I said, it's been a day. 

How do you feel when you don't write? 

One of the reasons I do this blog is that it forces me to write every day. And even when I don’t have much of an idea about what I will write, I still write, because not writing feels very alien to me. Writing doesn't have the sensation like a runner as high, but I know that when I don’t write I feel empty. This is my way of making sense of the world.

You've probably worked out from this my mind is full of crap and it needs investigating. 

How do you feel when you do write? 

Are you quite writing to activities like swimming or walking or going to the gym? It might take a little bit to get you where you’re going, to find your pace, but once you’re in the middle of it, you feel great. And you don’t even have to write that well just as I am not the perfect gym participant, nor walker, nor swimmer. But it makes me feel good when I’m doing it. 

It feels like I am participating in my vocation.

What prevents you from writing? 

Work and procrastination. There’s also a big sense of me being an impostor. Lots of writers have imposter syndrome. Something else that’s come out of my AUDHD Diagnosis is rejection sensitivity. Neurodiverse people arrive often highly sensitive to rejection leading them to either being triggered or into spiral. It’s a vicious cycle. You write something. You sent it out into the world. You think people are going to hate it. You wonder why you do it. And it goes round and round and round. I am getting better at ignoring these demons, but they do shout louder than those rancid next-door neighbours who need an AVO.

What gets you writing? 

Everything from sheer will power, to a lightning bolt inspiration, to a word that gets stuck in my head, to a song lyric, to something like spot of the tram, to something my cat is done, to news articles,… Inspiration could be found everywhere and you just have to enjoy it when you get it.

Or I pick up a Dev card. 

Today's song: 

Today's Takeaways

 Today was not a great day. I think I need to have a whine about it. 

I'll make it short.

1. Morcheeba played at The Forum last night. Friends of mine went. I didn't. I'm envious, even if I only know a couple of their songs, they looked incredible. I keep telling myself I can't go to everything. 

2. Computer problems meant that I needed to go into the office today. I wasn't planning on going into the office, but the guy on the Help Desk told me that to reinstall this program I had to go into an office. Or a branch. Ummm, I told them, do you mean there are bank branches around here? I live three kilometres from the office, it's easy. I put on some spakfilla and made myself look presentable (Yes, Pandora, you need to wear trousers to the office.) got in, found some lunch as I got there, only to call the Help Desk to be told that I really didn't need to come in. Bah. I worked from the office for the rest of the afternoon. 

3. I'm having fridge woes. My fridge, despite having the thermostat turned right down, is freezing stuff - particularly milk and salad. Frozen salad is gross. I had the man come out and have a look at the fridge today. $200 call out fee. Thermostat is cactus they say. They're going to price up a new thermostat (the fridge is only seven years old). My dilemma. Do I get the fridge fixed for what looks like it will cost around $500, or do I buy a new one? I mean, it doesn't have to happen immediately, as this one is working. I just can't keep salad in it. Stupid machines. Sounds like it needs to go the same way as my work laptop. 

4. And there was no Turkish bread at the supermarket. Toasted Turkish bread with butter and cherry jam is one of life's joys. 

But on the good side of things:

1. I made it to the gym on time and did a good workout after work. 

2. I'm nearly finished this book I've been reading for a while, which I'm not sure why I've continued with it. 

3. I started a Margaret Atwood book (Hag-Seed) based on a Shakespeare's The Tempest. Margaret Atwood makes my heart sing. I'm reading this on the cat's throne. 

4. I got to wear my new lippy today. New lippy is always good. 

5. And on Friday, after six months, it appears we'll be getting a new intercom. At last. The new post box came last week and the electronic gates are finally working, but we get a proper intercom so we can talk to the postie! Yay.

You have to take the good with the not so good. 

Today's song:

Kiss Me Like You Mean It

MAFS broke my heart last night. It doesn't do that very often, but last night, my heart cracked. I'm also very mad at the producers. I can't believe they let this happen. And sure, this is one of the most manipulative shows on television, but how could they do that. 

A bit of context. If you're ever watched Love, Actually there is this creepy scene where Andrew Lincoln ambushes his friend's wife with queue cards. Seriously, not romantic. Not even sweet. Just creepy.

So why do the producers get into this lovely woman's head that it would be a good idea to do this and ask her "husband" of ten days to kiss her like he means it. Make her feel something. 

Bleargh. 

I mean, there is making yourself vulnerable and there's making yourself the topic of work kitchen conversation (we don't have water coolers as a rule in Australia - maybe our equivalent would be the Billy tap). 

I mean, the absolute chutzpah she must have had to stand there, blindfolded, and ask this rather gormless bloke for a kiss. Only then, to be rejected. I felt this within every cell in my body. 

Maybe it's because I relate to this woman. Gorgeous, voluptuous, knows her own mind, intelligent, a seemingly happy soul, who has been stuck in situationships for decades. She's all there. He's not. 

The whole thing, for me, was so disappointing. Some of it was the visceral feeling that came from her humiliation. That the producers let this happen. And that the gormless bloke couldn't step up. (Though looking at it, I do get some of where he was coming from - and they've started to patch things up.)

I also understand what it's like when you want somebody to kiss you properly, and they don't. Or won't. I get the frustration. The loss of power. The feeling of being unwanted. The feeling of unrequited desires. The feeling of not being seen or heard. The feeling of being unworthy. The list can go on ad infinitum. 

Yes, when somebody doesn't kiss you the way you want them to, all of this comes out in your psyche.

So yeah. Rachel, MAFS bride extraordinaire, I am gobsmacked by your bravery as much as I am furious with the producers. You've touched a nerve with many. You are deserving of that great love. Your "groom" is probably not him, even though tonight's episode showed some improvements. I'm also aware of the slim pickings on the dating apps. It's a swamp out there. 

Yet is it ever a good idea to ask a man for favours like this? Unless you're wanting to be in another famous British rom com, most of me thinks you're setting yourself up for disappointment. 

P.S. My tried and tested pick-up line back in the day was a much more direct approach. It had humour, which meant if you were laughed at, you could pretend you're not let down and get on with whatever you were doing. "Fancy a shag?" seems far less intimate than asking for a proper kiss. It's a pity things have come to this. 

Today's song: 

Happy New Year

 Maybe it's because it's the night of Chinese New Year tonight and we're welcoming in the Year of the Horse and many around the place are getting all excited. 

I met up with my Taiwanese next-door neighbours as I was heading out for a swim with Jay. 

"Kung Hei Fat Choi," I said. 

"Happy new year to you. I thought you spoke no Chinese." my neighbour said. 

"This and 'ni how' is as far as it goes. It's better than nothing."

"It's a start."

So we're going into the Year of the Horse. Allegedly this means, according to AI, "The 2026 Year of the Fire Horse (beginning Feb 17, 2026) symbolizes a period of intense energy, rapid movement, and major transformations. Representing speed, courage, and freedom, this year encourages bold action, innovation, and breaking free from limitations, though it may also bring restlessness and impulsivity."

Does this mean there's going to be a revolution?

Interesting.

Me, I was born in the Year of the Monkey. Again, according to AI, this represents,"The Year of the Monkey in the Chinese zodiac symbolizes intelligence, wit, agility, and curiosity. People born in this year are considered clever, mischievous, and resourceful problem-solvers. It is a time often associated with innovation,, rapid change, and, sometimes, unpredictability. 

I find all of this stuff fascinating. 

It might also be the reason this song has been swilling around in my head all day.

Not much of a blog today. I've been making videos for work today. I need to get away from the screen for a bit as I've got another day of this tomorrow. 

Today's song:

The DVD Conundrum

I hate dusting. Unfortunately, I need to do some dusting, mostly because I've got a tradie coming in later in the week to replace the intercom, and I can't have them see the place in the state it's in at the moment. 

So, I'm dusting. 

Ugh. 

Regardless, I'm not just doing the area near where the intercom, but a thorough dust, including around the telly. 

And here is my conundrum. 

What do you do with old DVDs? And CDs? 

I know that life has moved on from 2005, but there's something comforting about my DVD collection. Not that I can remember the last time I fired up the DVD player (Yes, I still have one that works.) Not that I know if all of my DVDs are of the correct region. Not that I've played all of my collection. 

I mean, if I want to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I can always get a subscription to one of a couple of streaming services. What about some of the more niche British films I love so much? Britbox is fairly good for those things, and SBS On Demand has a lot of goods stuff on it. If you really want to watch something, you can bring in the streaming service subscription for a month. 

Still, what do you do with all of these DVDs? On removing all of them from the cabinet underneath the television, I looked at what remained. I'd done a cull a while ago. The Buffy DVDs were there. There was a couple of favourite movies. Bull Durham, Logan Lucky, Sense and Sensibility and Gosford Park. These are some of my comfort films - those films you can throw on and enjoy, despite the fact you've seen them 20 times over. (Note, it's a neurospicy trait to watch shows on repeat - it's a comfort to receive no shocks, and you get to pick up things that you missed when you were on a side quest.)

Then there were the box sets. The Affair and The Hour. Both are amazing. Again, I'm sure I could find them on some streaming service, but I like having them around. 

And the comfort watch of all comfort watches - the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice, with Colin Firth. Is there any better television. 

So, these DVDs are staying. Buffy and her cohorts are being donated to the charity bin. Sure, they're plastic clutter, but it's a lot less than there were this morning - and who knows, next time, they might be sent to a new home. 

Also, the telly cabinet is free from a few years of dust - which when you are the slave of a black cat, you work out that half of that detritus is him, placed there to vex you. Eight buckets of water later, something tells me I should be doing this a bit more regularly. 

Today's song: 

Sunday Stealing Loves Sunday Stealing

 Another week of hard work, exercise and getting on with things. A day today of exercise and nearly cutting the tip of my thumb off. Really did a number on myself with the bread knife. It's not that bad - no stitches required, but it's covered in band-aids (plasters to the British) and it is a bit of a nuisance. Thankfully you don't use your left thumb to type. 

It's also Valentine's / Galentine's Day. Hallmark holiday. Do no support it. I'm home talking to the cat and doing the ironing. Normal Saturday night as I told a friend who rang a while ago. 

Regardless, some easy questions today, thanks to Sunday Stealing.

Things I Love Beginning with S 

1. Seafood

Any type, any time. Prawns (shrimp), mussels, oysters - preferably fresh caught and chilled, lobster/crayfish, even yabbies (Australian freshwater shrimp). Fish. I'm starting to feel hungry now. We're lucky in Australia. The seafood is second to none. 

2. Screenings

I adore movies. Love them. Particularly on the big screen. You can take in more detail when it's big in front of you. I saw the new Wuthering Heights movie last night. I loved it - many won't see it that way.

3. Soaking

A bath, a bath, my kingdom for a big bathtub. Alas, I only have a shower in my flat, but I love having a bath, particularly if a book and a gin and tonic are involved. They're relaxing. I love being in water generally, but a good soak in a good bath is great. 

Same goes for time at the hot springs - which I also love. Soaking outside in nature is wonderful. Should make a plan for that someday soon. 

4. Subways

This is going to sound a bit strange, but I love travelling in cities underground. I love the London Tube and the Paris Metro. I've also been on the Boston Metro and the New York Subway. Melbourne and Sydney both have smaller subways, but not to the scale of the bigger cities. I just love trains.  I love the ease, the reasonably cheap cost, the convenience and the amazing human soup you get to see when you're on there. And okay, I'm glad I don't have to take these systems on a daily basis, but when I'm in these cities, I'll be riding the subway, happy. 

5. Sex (or if you're a prude, think snuggles)

Not that I can remember what that is, but I remember liking it. There's something very healing about skin-to-skin contact. 

6. And Sunday Stealing, of course! 

Today's song: