James O'Brien

“The problem is she always keeps falling in love with straight men”, my friend and colleague told me about the lead character (a trans woman) in the play, Triple X which we saw last night at the Sydney Theatre Company. “Tell me about it”, I said with a laugh. “I have the same problem”, I joked.

There are two main characters in the play. There is Dexie, played by the play’s author, Glace Chase who is going through transition from male to female, and who works as a drag queen at a gay bar. The other main character is Scottie, played by Josh McConville. Scott is a fairly conventional bloke, pursuing a business career. Dexie and Scottie meet and have a reasonably intense relationship for almost a year. Though there is obvious passion between them, the relationship comes to an end. And beyond that, I won’t spoil the plot for anyone planning to attend.

Both of us really enjoyed the play very much. There were quite a few laughs, as well as moments of tenderness. “The pace is good, the acting’s great, and the play has a lot of substance”, my friend said at interval. The play provides you with a great insight into some of the issues faced by many people with a trans experience. The play also provides an interesting look at sexual fluidity, that your heart often takes you in directions your head might struggle with.

Neither of us has been to the theatre for quite some time. It was really lovely to be able to go out and enjoy some theatre in the midst of the pandemic. The theatre was close to full. The play got a standing ovation. Highly recommended. Oh, and how good is the view from Sydney Theatre Company (Wharf 4/5)?

As preparation for the play, I had a late afternoon nap. I’d been up quite early, having taken a tram trip down to the Circular Quay.