‘Drizzle Boy’ is a thoughtful, imaginative and raw exploration of what it means for one person to have autism, face challenges, and reach for the stars.
Written by Ryan Ennis, and directed by Daniel Evans, ‘Drizzle Boy’ (you’ll get the joke when you see the play) follows a young man with autism as he enters university, striving to succeed both academically and socially, and the roadblocks that are chucked into his path.
Ennis himself identifies as neurodivergent, and this is in many ways his story. Depicting Drizzle Boy is Daniel R. Nixon, who also has autism, making this play a powerful ‘for us by us’ moment, while inviting the whole of society along.
‘Drizzle Boy’ has a whole smorgasbord of characters, ranging from historical figures brought to life by Drizzle Boy’s imagination, his daemons, his family, friends and Dr Google. However, there are only three actors in the cast.
Image © Brett Boardman
Through incredibly fast costume changes, the actors swap characters and quickly as they change their accents. It is incredibly impressive, and successful. The blending of people from Drizzle Boy’s imagination and his real world gives the audience a peek into his mind, and what it is like to live in his world. The ‘fun’ characters also provide much-needed comic relief when the play becomes more emotionally challenging.
The set and costume design are fantastic, as is the sound design. They also complement Drizzle Boy’s way of seeing the world, using lights to signal upcoming loud noises, or alarms to reject unwanted touch. It immerses the audience in Drizzle Boy’s sense of invaded boundaries.
‘Drizzle Boy’ is a brand new work, and winner of the 2022-23 Queensland Premier’s Drama Award. The prize is very well deserved, and calls for a king tide of people to pack the theatre.
