Afterglow follows Josh and Alex, a married gay couple whose open relationship is built on love, routine, and the quiet negotiations that come with time. When a one-night stand with a younger man opens the door to new desires and unspoken insecurities, the couple find themselves confronting questions they thought were settled, and what began as an experiment in openness and trust, slowly forces them all to navigate jealousy, vulnerability, and the fear of being replaced.
Julian Curtis shines as Alex. He handles the complexities of trying to be the understanding partner while quietly fearing he is losing the love of his life with great subtlety. Curtis captures Alex’s anxieties without tipping into melodrama, allowing the audience to feel the tension simmering beneath his calm exterior. His small gestures - a hesitant glance, a tightening jaw, a pause before speaking - speak volumes about the character’s inner conflict.
While Curtis shows nuance in his character, Matthew Mitcham’s Josh is very one-dimensional. There are instances where Josh is meant to be devastated or angry, but the portrayal does not land with the intensity those moments demand. Pivotal lines fall short of the dramatic heft they require, making them hollow. Mitcham is at his best in the tender and affectionate scenes, where glimpses of Josh’s personality emerge more convincingly.
Matthew Predny plays Darius, whose one-night stand with the couple evolves into deeper, complicated feelings towards Josh. Predny brings a charming puppy-dog appeal to the role, revealing the character’s naivety and earnestness. However, there are moments where the emotional core of Thadeus is still taking shape, leaving some of his vulnerable or conflicted turns less fully realised.
As an ensemble, the trio work well together, particularly when all three share the stage. Gelman’s direction allows the shared history between Alex and Josh to be instantly defined, whereas the interactions with Darius lean into something more exciting and unknown for everyone involved. Gelman has several sequences favour movement over dialogue, using the performers’ bodies in relation to one another to build tension. While the full-frontal nudity and sex scenes are undeniably charged, these non-verbal physical exchanges most clearly articulate the stakes at play.
Ann Beyersdofter’s set design has a polished, contemporary aesthetic, with Perspex running along the floors and walls, creating mirrored images of the performers and a sense that there is nowhere to hide, that everything will eventually be exposed. A functioning shower ratchets the intimacy to eleven, and, alongside Jamie Roderick’s lighting design, makes it almost voyeuristic - we really are seeing a relationship behind closed doors. Roderick’s lighting is assured and fluid, with cool tones and seamless transitions from private bedroom scenes to strobe and coloured light for the more chaotic or unravelling moments.
Afterglow’s exploration of intimacy, desire, and fragility remains compelling, with Gelman’s direction and writing ensuring emotional beats connect with visual and physical clarity. By balancing quiet, introspective scenes with instances of raw, unflinching exposure, Afterglow reminds us why this story continues to resonate eight years on, and how it still has the power to captivate, unsettle, and move its audience.
Click here to read our review with writer and director S. Asher Gelman.
SHOW DETAILS
Venue: Chapel Off Chapel, 12 Little Chapel St, Prahran
Season: until 8 Feb | Mon - Thu 7.30pm, Fri - Sat 6:30pm & 9:30pm
Duration: 90 minutes
Tickets: $69 Full | $59 Conc
Bookings: Midsumma Festival
Image credit: Cameron Grant
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