In Vivian Nugyen’s play WERKAHOLICS, the setup features Australia’s latest ‘it’ girl and influencer Lilian (Georgia Yenna Oom) who thrives on the facile, superficial, beauty myth based world she is a master at. She is determined that her best friend Jillian (Shirong Wu) share the excitement and benefits of this glossy world with her, though Jillian would prefer to work on her struggling acting career.
They seem to be managing their world well but what they don’t know is that there is someone in the background, cultural zeitgeist icon Unmoi/Sage (Ruby Duncan) who is working away in the background, plotting to expose them.
Vivian Nguyen’s wry, satirical writing, aided by sound dramaturgical work by Zack Lewin, presents the facile, materialistic, youth based world that social media influencers move in.
I loved the playfulness, vibrancy and sensuality of the three performers; Georgia Yenna Oom’s extroverted, outrageous Lillian, Shirong Wu’s more subtle, deceptive character and Ruby Duncan’s vehemently anti-social media Sage.
The stagecraft was excellent; clear direction and staging by Nicole Pingon, Ruby Jenkin’s schmick set and costume design, Frankie Clarke’s terrific lighting design , good AV design by Harrison Hall (AV Systems by Daniel Harten), and fight choreography by Diego Retamales.
Satire used right, as with this play, does get its ideas, themes and discussion points across very well.
A Purple Tape production, Vivian Nguyen’s WERKAHOLICS, directed by Nicole Pingon, opened downstairs at Belvoir Street on Friday 1 August 2025 and plays until the 17th August 2025.
Production photography by Lucy Parakhina
http://www.purpletapeproductions.com
