Attention is beautiful storytelling. If the core tenets of Melbourne Fringe are discovery and experimentation, then you’d struggle to find a better ambassador for that creed than Attention.
Attention begins at the end. Of Charlie’s father. As in his life. Ding dong the Dad is dead. But, in many ways for Charlie, this is the second time she’s lost her father – the first being all throughout her childhood.
Years of cruel distance and emotional abuse have left Charlie damaged and distant in her own life, but yearning for attention and connection. Now that that prick is gone, she finds herself reflecting on what those years were worth and asking a simple but profound question: Does she have to stay damaged?
Written and performed by Jessica Grace Sterle, the show is a semi-autobiographic work that sits in this nebulous and wonderful space that isn’t quite dramedy, isn’t quite black comedy. It’s a delicate, nuanced, and compelling portrayal that effortlessly kept the audience engaged.
The In-Flight space at Trainsendence may have clouds in the ceiling, but it was a grounded and captivating performance by Jessica. You can argue that for actors the most challenging roles are those closest to themselves. With the role of Charlie, there’s no theatrical flourishes for Jessica to hide behind. It’s just Charlie, sitting in a chair, with a bottle of cheap wine not long for this world.
Charlie talks about the attention she never got, yet when she’s spotted in the supermarket by an acquaintance she hasn’t seen since school almost a decade earlier, she’s anxious to get away. It’s these seeming contradictions and observations that speak to the excellent calibre of Jessica’s writing.
Grief is non-linear and in the wake of her father’s death, Charlie’s reflections are indeed not a straight line. Yet, for all her tangents and refrains, Charlie never meanders. The emotional beats are genuine and organic – a credit to Jessica and her creative development at the Melbourne Actors Lab.
This level of quality in the writing and in its delivery shouldn’t be found to the depth it is in an artist’s debut show, but here we are. The story Jessica tells simply from her chair is authentic, funny, and moving. It’s a show that’s more than worth your time, a show that will definitely hold your attention.
ATTENTION
Trainscendence – In-Flight, 6/48 Easey St, Collingwood
Performance: Monday 5 October 2026
Season continues to 9 October 2026
Information and Bookings: www.melbournefringe.com.au
Image: Jessica Grace Sterle – photo by Giselle Dutta
Review: June Collins