The Understudy review | Melbourne Fringe | Trainscendence

Anyone who enters the acting industry longs for their big break - whether as a star, a supporting player, or a quirky character actor. But the harsh reality is that not everyone gets that moment in the spotlight. Sometimes, all you can do is settle for being the understudy. Written and performed by Eva Seymour, The Understudy is a wonderfully sharp, funny, and heartfelt look at the life of someone always waiting in the wings.

As we take our seats, it’s clear we’re in for an intense performance as our protagonist fervently reads Chekhov’s To the Actor - a manifesto urging actors to dig deep, be honest, and fully inhabit their roles. From there, the show spins into a whirlwind of backstage yearning, comic mishaps, and the obsessive and slightly dangerous drive of someone determined to shine, even if they are not centre stage.

Seymour is incredible as The Understudy. This could have easily been a one-note comedic role, but she infuses the character with genuine heart. Every word is weighted - the desperation, the frustrations, the anger, the sadness. All of it comes through in a performance that is as confident as it is captivating. She does a brilliant job of putting up guardrails for The Understudy to protect herself and project the image she wants, but little by little, those barriers begin to slip away, revealing the vulnerability underneath.

This is also thanks to Seymour's engrossing writing, where the audience is drip-fed information that gradually builds to a very satisfying conclusion. The oddities and strange occurrences The Understudy experiences grow bigger and more surreal, yet the writing never loses sight of its vision. It’s a highly considered piece, a study of how much sacrifice is required to live your dream as an actor - and, more broadly, how much it takes just to live your dream at all.

Though it’s a small stage, director Olivia Charalambous brings a large world to life - from backstage, to the green room, and into the understudy’s apartment. She elicits a mesmerising performance from Seymour, giving her remarkable physicality as she shifts between characters, using body, face, and voice to define each one. Her voice trembles with anger, softens to indifference, and brightens with positivity, all in split-second transitions, while her body mirrors these changes, creating a seamless, dynamic portrayal that is alive at every instant.

The sound and lighting design effectively heighten the suspense throughout the piece. Ominous bells chime whenever something is becoming too real, and the scene swiftly changes. Severe, coloured lighting often engulfs The Understudy, deepening her world and emotions.

The Understudy is a meticulously constructed, deeply engaging piece that balances humour, heart, and theatrical craft. Between Seymour’s extraordinary performance, Charalambous’ inventive direction, and the immersive sound and lighting design, the show captures the chaos and the beauty of an actor’s life behind the scenes. It’s a witty, poignant, and at times a surreal exploration of ambition, vulnerability, and the relentless pursuit of a passion.

The Understudy was performed at Trainscendence between 14 - 17 October as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival. 

Image credit: Nick Robertson