Jake Mace
Content Warning: Discussion of Suicide, Mental Health, and Dark Themes
We’re joined by the creative team behind You Can Do It! (Follow Your Dreams), a dark satirical comedy play which opens at Adelaide Fringe tomorrow. The piece follows the downtrodden Billy in a dysfunctional family navigating his parents’ expectations through a creative, acid-laced and twisted lens…
Writer-Director Simon Patrick Berman describes the show as all about “the pressure to succeed, and the humour – and tragedy – that comes from not measuring up.” We’re joined by him and Lead Actor/Producer Josh Waldhorn to dive into the show over a pixelated pint.
You can catch You Can Do It! (Follow Your Dreams) at the Main Stage at ARTHUR ARTHOUSE as part of Adelaide Fringe between Thursday 13th and Sunday 23rd March at various times in the evenings (60mins). Tickets are available through the Adelaide Fringe Box Office.
Jake: Hi Simon! Your show You Can Do It! (Follow Your Dreams) explores the chaos of family dynamics, societal expectations, and the relentless pursuit of success. Tell us about what inspired the piece and how you found the dark comedy in those themes.
Simon: My friend was going on about “hangxiety” once and I completely misinterpreted it to mean the fear of not being able to hang yourself, then I started cackling. There’s a decent subset of people who’ve dealt with depression and have found humour in the sardonic idea that they’re so pathetic they can’t even kill themselves, myself being one of them.
That’s not really interesting or amusing in and of itself, but by using this twisted idea of accomplishment as a lens through which to view the relentlessly dehumanising incentive structures that grind our bodies into the powder oligarchs dust on their engorged members before remorselessly violating what’s left of our twisted, broken souls, I was able to find the humour in it! It’s all just a big misunderstanding in the end! Hahahahaha… Tea?
Jake: Josh & Simon, can you tell us more about the characters in the piece, and your process in creating them, then seeing them brought to life in rehearsal.
Josh: The characters in You Can Do It! (Follow Your Dreams) are cartoon-like embodiments of societal pressures, toxic family dynamics, and the warped pursuit of success. Billy, the tragic protagonist, exists in a world where failure is not just condemned but mocked, and even his most desperate attempts to escape are seen as inadequacies. His Dad, a man consumed by outdated ideals of masculinity and achievement, serves as both tormentor and a reflection of his own failures. Fleur and Thad embody a grotesque version of success – shallow, performative, and entirely devoid of real humanity – while Ruth, the mother, is complicit yet trapped, clinging to traditional roles and expectations.
Simon has created these characters and leaned into hyperbole and dark humor to expose the absurdity of their world, taking inspiration from real societal pressures and distorting them into something both unsettling and comedic. The rhythm of the dialogue and the physicality of the piece also became clearer in rehearsals, reinforcing the balance between bleakness and humor. Watching these characters breathe on stage was both exhilarating and disturbing! Simon is grinning like a Cheshire cat!
Jake: The play opens with a particularly dark moment in all of those characters lives – tell us about why you decided to start there and the journey it sets us forward on as audience members.
Simon: Well, Billy’s at his lowest, or so we think, having failed once again to kill himself, much to his parent’s disappointment. So we’re thrown straight into the grotesque, deeply unreasonable morality of the world in which this unfortunate, good soul has found themselves. By starting somewhere relatively extreme, showing the adversity at hand, I’m hoping, and we have seen in our last season, that the audience empathises and identifies with our beleaguered hero.
I want them to have someone to root for in this fucked up world. Many of the people society labels as mad believe that it is not them, but the world which is mad, and that might well be true. In Billy’s case it certainly is and I want people to be right there with him as he comes into his power, because ultimately this is a story about struggle and personal empowerment.
Jake: What are you hoping the audience might take away from the experience, if anything?
Josh: The play presents a darkly satirical exploration of toxic familial dynamics, societal expectations, and the relentless pursuit of success at any cost. If there is anything I hope the audience takes away, it is a deep discomfort that forces reflection – on the absurdity of blind ambition, the weight of parental pressure, and the devastating effects of an environment that equates worth with achievement. While exaggerated, the play highlights real struggles of self-worth, validation, and generational trauma, challenging viewers to question the narratives they uphold in their own lives.
Jake: Now we’re in the throes of Adelaide Fringe, what are you most excited for?
Simon: The sweet release of death.
Josh: Adelaide Fringe is an explosion of creativity, and I’m most excited to see how audiences react to You Can Do It! (Follow Your Dreams). Fringe audiences are open to bold, challenging work, and I can’t wait to feel their energy – whether it’s laughter, shock, or stunned silence. Beyond that, I’m looking forward to discovering other daring performances, connecting with fellow artists, and immersing myself in the wild, unpredictable spirit that makes Adelaide Fringe so special.
Jake: Given the themes of Binge Fringe, if your show was a beverage of any kind (alcoholic, non-alcoholic – be as creative as you like!), what would it be and why?
Simon: A Molotov Cocktail laced with Acid and Rohypnol – I feel this is self explanatory.
You can catch You Can Do It! (Follow Your Dreams) at the Main Stage at ARTHUR ARTHOUSE as part of Adelaide Fringe between Thursday 13th and Sunday 23rd March at various times in the evenings (60mins). Tickets are available through the Adelaide Fringe Box Office.
Madeleine Martin
Kat Burton
