Review
23 April 2025
Canberra Youth Theatre is dedicated to raising the voices of young people, and helping them have their say about theatre, the arts, and everything in between. Our Young Critics program provides emerging voices with the platform to share reviews such as the one below. The views expressed are those of the writer and do not reflect the views of Canberra Youth Theatre or its staff.
Jade Breen, one of our Canberra Youth Theatre Young Critics, reviews the Shopfront Arts Co-op production of manic pixie meltdown by Canberra Youth Theatre alumni Thea Jade.
Presented as part of Shopfront Arts Co-op’s ArtsLab: REVERB Festival. Written by Thea Jade, mentored by Jules Orcullo.
Image Credit – Lucy Parakhina.
A quick google search of “Manic Pixie Dream Girl” offers the definition of “stock character; usually static characters who have eccentric personality quirks and are unabashedly girlish.” The words are accompanied by the colourful imagery of young women, dyed hair, steampunk goggles, a ukulele to match. Your Kirsten Dunsts, Natalie Portmans, and Chloe Haydens. But what about these women is so alluring, so tropefied, so worthy of the quirky, supporting-character box they are so often reduced to?
In collaboration with Shopfront Arts’ ArtsLab, Thea Jade presents Manic Pixie Meltdown, a nuanced and informed piece of theatre that exists as the most beautiful piece of chaos I think I will ever witness.
Teddy is furious with the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope. Convinced it’s a dangerous concept, she embarks on a darkly comedic crusade to take it down. Fed up with being romanticised for her neurodivergence, she tries to get her ragtag support group – fellow Questacon employees – on side with her plan: eradicate the trope altogether by eliminating its most prominent examples – the manic pixie dream girls themselves.
From the complex and tyrannical protagonist Teddy, to a kidnapped Kirsten Dunst (yep, the Kirsten Dunst), Jade’s work, supported by a highly-accomplished ensemble of neurodivergent performers, is a masterclass in characterisation. Ingrid Leighton leads the cast as Teddy, proving her skill as a powerful and demanding protagonist. She takes us on a rollercoaster, so easy to despise at first, but so easy to love when Leighton gives us a vulnerable peek behind the curtain. Eliza Hoh’s Lola is a beautiful foil to Teddy’s pursuits, her loyal best friend who would follow Teddy anywhere, even if the occasion calls for murder. Hoh’s performance is truly a spark of joy, the best friend we all wish we had by our side. Suspicious and cynical, Natalie Reid delivers one of my favourite performances as Mav, constantly poking and prodding at Teddy. Georgia Drewe is a curious and loveable Effie and Camille Gerrard takes
the cake as the hilarious and insanely believable kidnapped Kirsten Dunst.
Surprisingly, it is Breanna Kelly’s portrayal of Millie, the master observer that captured my heart. While silent for most of the piece, Kelly’s presence truly grounded me in the work, always observing, perhaps silently judging, but never allowed to comment. It is through their eyes that the audience gets to experience the narrative and bear witness to the insanity that unfolds, and Kelly’s thoughtful and focused performance provided a delicate, reflective space in the work.
What makes each character so incredibly engaging is their flaws. They become overstimulated, they get angry at each other, snarky, homicidal even, but Jade crafts these existences as what they truly are: a natural and unavoidable part of the human experience. The work centres around the lived experiences of neurodivergent women, an existence so often overlooked and misrepresented in media.
Jade’s work cleverly suggests that perhaps the feminisation of the neurodivergent experience is the real cause for the world’s collective bias. As an audience member, I found myself so grateful for a work that refuses to succumb to stereotype or judgement, rather representing neurodiversity as the beautiful, expansive spectrum of humanity that it truly is. Under the considered direction of Karina Young, and exceptional dramaturgy of Rebecca Duke, Jade’s whole team have crafted a unique theatrical space where neurodivergent women finally have the floor, a world to unmask, stim, and live their lives far beyond the tropes.
What results is a bold and urgent piece of theatre that I hope finds its way into the hands of every young woman who has ever felt trapped by expectation. manic pixie meltdown is more than just a play, it’s a warm embrace, a kind, validating presence reaching out to tell you that despite it all, you are not, and never will be alone.
Jade Breen is a proud nonbinary creative living on Ngunnawal country. Since graduating highschool last year, they spend their time putting off the looming threat of adulthood by writing plays highlighting the lived experience of young people. Their debut work Happy Meals, Happy Kids made its professional debut at The Q in 2024, a brave new piece exploring the expectations of teenagers amidst a raging climate crisis. They were incredibly fortunate to be a participant in ATYP’s National Studio, developing their craft as a playwright over a week with 19 other emerging writers. Jade’s work has an urgent focus on social justice and they hope to inspire the next generations of theatre makers to continue creating challenging and intersectional work.
