Thank You, Mistress (Radio Play)–REVIEW–15Oct2026

RADIO PLAY

Written by Louisa Panucci, Working Title Prod.

Melbourne Fringe Festival 2026

At Motley Bauhaus, Carlton

 Fringe online & in theatre until 18 Oct 2026

Reviewer: Kate Herbert

Stars: *** (3)

This review is published only on this blog. I presented a radio review on Arts Weekly, 3MBS, Sat 17 Oct 2026. KH

Louisa Panucci & Marc Optiz in live production of Thank you, Mistress. Image supplied.

 

The title of Louisa Panucci’s radio play, Thank you, Mistress, should give you a clue to the narrative.

 

Mistress Violet (Louisa Panucci) is a 25-year-old medical student, who dominates her clients to make a living while she studies. She has a needy boyfriend (Aiden Gale Miranda) who calls her often – too often. Enter Henry (Marc Opitz), a middle-aged CEO and Violet’s latest client, who is a submissive in Violet’s “dominatrix dungeon” (which doubles as her one-bedroom flat,) but is a dominant, power figure in his corporate life.

 

Henry’s arrival heralds not only a new client for Violet, but a burgeoning, personal relationship between this unlikely couple.

 

In this radio play version that is adapted from the live production, there is plenty of slightly salacious dialogue that is probably depicted more graphically and physically in the live production. Photos of the live version show action that is described for radio. It relies too heavily on narration, explication and detail-laden dialogue which would more effectively be physicalised on stage.

 

The beauty of a radio play is that it can transport a listener to multiple locations, evoke atmosphere and mood with only sound.

 

The first half of Thank you, Mistress feels like a dialogue rather than dramatic narrative, until quite close to the end when the subtext of the story is revealed. There is a conflict and there is a victim – and it turns out to be neither Violet or Henry.

 

By Kate Herbert

 

This 42-minute radio play was part of the Melbourne Fringe 2026, ran until Sun 18 Oct. The live version had the same season.

 

Cast

Louisa Panucci – Mistress Violet

Marc Opitz - Henry

Aiden Gale Miranda – the boyfriend

 

Creative Team

Writer: Louisa Panucci

Director: Daxie-Carnay-Hanrahan

Sound Engineer: Sirak Keeghan

 

KATE HERBERT–RADIO REVIEWS_ Arts Weekly 3MBS -Sat17Oct2026

In this radio review spot on Arts Weekly on Sat 17 Oct 2026, I talk to Producer, Nick Tolhurst and host Phillipa Edwards about ELIZA by Tom Holloway at MTC.

 

 I then mention Thank you, Mistress, a radio version of a live action play in Melbourne Fringe Festival.

Click this link:  Reviews Arts Weekly Sat17Oct2026

Approx 9 mins.

 

Eliza REVIEW 6 Oct 2026 **** (4)

THEATRE

Written by Tom Holloway, Melbourne Theatre Company

At Southbank Theatre until 31 Oct 2026

Reviewer: Kate Herbert

Stars: **** (4)

This review is published only on this blog. I’ll present a radio review on Arts Weekly, 3MBS, Sat 17 Oct 2026. KH

Dan Spielman- Eliza.-image Pia Johnson

 

Tom Holloway’s play, Eliza, is at first interesting, then fascinating and finally, alarming. Dan Spielman’s depiction of the emotional and psychological trajectory of the central character, Joseph Weisenbaum, is at the very heart of this play and its success.

The play is set in 1964 when Weisenbaum, a German scientist, was invited to MIT to explore how humans might endow a computer with human qualities. He did this by creating an early form of chat bot – i.e. AI – which he dubbed Eliza after the character in My Fair Lady.

 

He programmed the bot to simulate a Rogerian psychologist by echoing the human’s comments and questions and then replying with open-ended, simple queries that elicited personal responses from the human. Weisenbaum also wanted to test whether a person could determine if the subsequent dialogue transcript was from a human or a machine.

 

In the play, Weisenbaum views his experiment as a joke, a parody of psychology and of the fictional character of Eliza. It’s like theatre to him. What he does not expect and what terrifies and alarms him is that the people around him – his assistant, colleagues, academics and psychologists – invest Eliza with human qualities: they anthropomorphise his computer program and take ownership of it.

 

The psychological disintegration of Weisenbaum is in direct correlation to the increase in others’ faith in his creation.

 

Holloway’s writing has a cunning dramatic structure, credible characters and raises compelling contemporary issues about AI and its invasion of our lives.

 

Eliza MTC- Dan Spielman, Hamish Michael, Manali Datar- image Pia Johnson

By looking at the inception of AI, Holloway challenges the artificial intelligence creators of our time who are framing an environment that is incrementally compelling people to rely on computer programs for their everyday lives and investing these programs not only with names, but with human qualities.

 

Just think what happens when you do a search on your phone, an AI gives you an answer and offers politely to provide more information. Even the most sceptical or cynical start to feel they are really communicating with a pen pal who, if they’re not convinced is a human, at least has human qualities.

 

Spielman is masterly as Weistenbaum, a gifted scientist who is also a traumatised survivor of the Holocaust. Spielman embodies firstly Weistenbaum’s elation and joy, then his increasing obsessional behaviour and confusion that culminate in delusions and the crumbling of his fragile psyche.

 

Manil Datar as Becky, Weisenbaum’s office assistant who is not a programmer or a scientist, shifts from naïve obeisance to self-confidence – or is it overconfidence? Hamish Michael transforms in multiple roles including Ronald, Weisenbaum’s resentful assistant lab programmer at MIT, the ponderous department head, and a manipulative psychologist.

 

Paige Rattray’s deft direction focuses on the friction and fracturing of Weisenbaum’s relationships and highlights the creeping changes in their status and the escalating dramatic tension, disturbance and chaos.

 

Dale Ferguson’s design composed of stacks of archival file boxes, creates a labyrinth that swallows then spits out the characters as they disappear and reappear in its corridors. Paul Jackson’s lighting begins with a stark, clinical brightness in the chilly laboratory, then conjures an uneasy atmosphere as the play progresses.

This production of Holloway’s play raises challenging issues about our contemporary world and the world of scientific research, specifically into artificial intelligence, and its willingness to ignore the human impact and cost.

By Kate Herbert

 

Cast

 Dan Spielman as Dr. Joseph Weizenbaum

 Manali Datar as Becky

 Hamish Michael as Ronald and other roles

 

Creative Team

Writer -Tom Holloway

Director – Paige Rattray

Set Designer - Dale Ferguson

Costume Designer -Matilda Woodroofe

Lighting Designer - Paul Jackson

Composer & Sound Designer - Kelly Ryall
AV Designer - Rhian Hinkley

 

 ..

 

 

 

KATE HERBERT Arts Weekly RADIO REVIEW 3MBS -Sat3Oct2026

   

KateArtsWeeklyReviews5Oct26    

Click the link to listen.

In this radio review spot on Arts Weekly on Sat 3 Oct 2026, I talk to Producer, Nick Tolhurst and host Phillipa Edwards about the 2027 program of production for Melbourne Theatre Company and Malthouse Theatre. 

I start by mentioning Eliza, a play set in 1964 that is based on real events that pre-dated current AI. I’ll review Eliza in the next program. 

It's about 7 mins.  KH