W (Old Fitz) ★★★½

Written by Madelaine Nunn. World Premiere. New Ghosts Theatre Company. The Old Fitz. 29 May – 14 Jun, 2026.

Big ambition is at the core of W, the AWFL themed play at the Old Fitz. Both the ambition of the players and their coach in the story, and ambition in the writing that could easily step out of the black box space onto a larger stage.

Rosie (Shannon Ryan), the team captain of an AWFL team, is at the peak of her career. She’s a media spokesperson, a wife to her teammate Alex (Grace Smibert) and a role model for younger players. She and Alex are trying to have a child, which doesn’t always fit with the schedule of an athlete and is causing the pressure to mount at home as well as on the field. Things only get worse as the team unity is starting to wobble with the addition of a new member, Casey (Celesté Cortes-Davis) who quickly earns the nickname “Mouth” for her outspoken attitude. As the team head to the Grand Final Rosie starts to realise she may not be able to get everything she wants in life.

The strength of playwright Madelaine Nunn’s writing is her willingness to withhold. Together with director Rachel Chant, the themes of the play are ever-present but never over-laboured. The relative lack of respect for women’s sports, the creepy attention from male fans, the players’ sexuality and more are handled with a frankness that doesn’t try to milk them for obvious and well-worn drama. Nunn’s focus is on the characters and the combination of female ambition with the shifting realities of life.

And what’s in the design waters at The Old Fitz this year? It feels like every set designer has raised their game in transforming the space into something new. This time Meg Anderson gives us a high energy locker room with bold colours and clean lines, accentuated by Luna Yuet Yee Ng’s lighting. Sound by Clare Hennessy brings the stadium energy to the small stage.

The cast each give us clear, distinct characters. Ally Morgan’s Brigid, juggling motherhood and sport and using physical activity as an emotional release she can’t find anywhere else, is a real highlight. Shannon Ryan gives Rosie a focused, stoic outlook that crumbles as she has to ask herself what she really wants out of life. Celesté Cortes-Davis makes an impact as the ambitious but undisciplined Casey pushing past others on the way to her goal. And Danielle Cormack’s Coach Sue is a well-pitched balance of comedy and heart.

As the play progressed I started to question the title W. I assumed it stood for “Women”, but it could easily stand for “Why”, “What’s next” or “Who am I?” There are big questions lurking just underneath the battered skin of this sporting drama and it’s a rich field to play in.