Brad Checked In is the latest production showing at the Sydney Independent Theatre Company about a man who’s out of marriage and into the world of social networking and dating. It’s a jungle out there, so we caught up with playwright Paula Noble to talk us through it.
What can you tell us about your title character and his story? What leads him to ‘check in’?
Brad is recently separated after ten years of marriage to his wife Maggie. Despite it being his decision to leave her, Brad initially feels bewildered with navigating his newfound freedom. That is until his friend Grub introduces him to social networking through Facebook, where he begins searching for an old flame and loses his privacy when Grub begins to check him in wherever they go.
Is the character inspired by anyone in particular?
Brad is a fictitious character, however he is inspired by the many stories I have heard about married or single individuals who use social media to hook up with past relationships, or find new ones, or both!
Is it fair to say online dating has lost its stigma?
Facebook has the unique quality of private messaging people that we have already established some sort of relationship with. So while it may have lost its stigma, this private message factor is still an attraction, especially for Generation X.
What did you enjoy most about writing the play?
I absolutely enjoyed creating the central character Brad, who could complicate his dating life by biting off more women than he could chew. I like bringing characters to life though dialogue, and the process of creating their own individual voices, gradually making them human.
See Brad Checked In at the Old Fitzroy Theatreuntil Saturday June 21, tickets available online.
