I have to confess to being one of the millions of viewers who watched the last season of Married at First Sight. One of my favourite couples was Johnny and Kerry and I am happy to report that they are still together and happier than ever. It’s been exactly one year since they were matched on the series.
I actually saw them and Johnny’s twin brother and the handsome, Chris plus several other MAFS alumni at Opening Night of the fabulous romantic comedy play, Fourthcoming. It’s from our friends at Shake & Stir and stars Johnny Balbuziente and CeCe Peters.
CeCe plays Gwen, a trivia host, who has been unlucky in love and is tired of waking up alone with only Siri for company. She decides to try and find the man of her dreams and sets up four very different dates with four very different men. Johnny plays them all. There’s artistic Sebastian, conspiracy theorist restauranter Franco, nerdy Aaron and jovial jock Sandy. The best part is that it’s a ‘ choose your own adventure’ theatre experience where the audience participates throughout and eventually determine who Gwen will go on a second date with. The audience can join in as much or as little as they like.
It’s an hilarious, modern and fun play with all the right ingredients for a terrific night out. The leads are sexy and confident but are also playfully having fun with the roles and if the laughter on Opening Night is anything to go by this play will be a roaring success. The audience leapt to their feet at the end for several well – deserved standing ovations.
Written by Nelle Lee and directed by Nelle and Nick Skubij this play has a dynamic staging aesthetic involving heightened video content and digital interaction which has only been exacerbated in the last eighteen months with the “ instant feed/ left – swipe / thumbs up world “ that inhabits Gwen’s head and heart space. .
Nelle Lee said, “ I found it quite refreshing to work on a comedy dealing with sexual expression, that allows the female to be in the driver’s seat. One of our main goals of Fourthcoming was to create something that is sexy and fun, but also heartbreakingly honest.”
Johnny lit up the stage and relished each of his diverse character roles, imbibing them with his own warmth, humour and vulnerability. CeCe is perfect and brings an extraordinary humanity and sense of fun to the role. Their chemistry bubbles over on stage and ensures you feel invested in the outcome. At times the play even felt like the fun of a ‘ panto ‘ with the audience raucously joining in.
For a date night or fun night out with the girls look no further than Fourthcoming which is playing at the Cremorne Theatre, QPAC. It’s adrenaline pumping theatre which is completely in the moment. Whether you attend as a voyeur or a participant you will enjoy your time hanging out with Gwen and her beaus.
Michelle Beesley is a Brisbane born and bred former primary school teacher. A wife, proud grandma and mother of three grown sons, Michelle is thrilled to have recently published her debut contemporary romance novel, It Happened in Paris, with Serenade Publishing. Her novella – Escape to D’ Amour was published in 2019. Michelle’s work can be found in the anthologies – Destination Romance and Short & Sweet. When not reading or writing Michelle can be found at a coffee shop chatting with friends, front row at a fashion show, or beside a rugby union field cheering on her favourite teams.
Michelle is a reluctant traveller, Francophile, keen walker and avid yoga enthusiast plus a book, film and theatre lover who loves everything pink and sparkly (including champagne). You can find Michelle on instagram @michellebeesley_writer and her website: michellebeesley.com.
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