Type: Aburdist, Fringe Theatre
If You Liked: Traffic Light Party, Waiting for Godot
Sorry I’m Late is a new absurdist piece of theatre that opened this week at the Sydney Fringe Festival. We open on a one-bedroom apartment, which is largely still in packing boxes, and through the lens of a rather peculiar therapy session, a newly 30-something is forced to unpack the inaction and existential dread of her 20s and face the abyss she may have doomscrolled her way into.
Fresh from her 2025 multi-award-winning Traffic Light Party, Izzy Azzopardi shows excellent promise and could quickly become a powerhouse voice in Australian playwriting, and while the absurdist nature of this piece does cause the text to loop back on itself a few more times than expected, Azzopardi’s ability to turn a phrase and capture the nuance and casual nature of the contemporary voice is sublime.
Rebecca McNamee’s direction is robust and holds the eerie liminal pace of the piece through its slightly longer than advertised 80-minute runtime.
Jessica Garnett as Mackenzie, the freshly 30 ‘writer’, is very endearing and just the right amount of disenfranchised from the world to make the viewer say, ‘yep, I feel you, sister.’ Against her, Azzopardi plays the unhinged therapist/gatekeeper and proves she is as strong on stage as she is as a writer. Together, there is a huge ‘best frenemies’ vibe.
While a fascinating concept for a piece with solid performances, the purgatory pay-off slash reveal doesn’t quite have the satisfaction it seems like it’s ramping up to. There isn’t the ‘aha!’ moment.
Sorry I’m Late asks a lot of questions, as cliché as they are, and absolutely caused me to check my own screen time (it was terrifying), and I’m sure with further development it will shift this piece towards the knockout piece of theatre it could be. Shows like this are vital to the Fringe and this show is an engaging night in the theatre.
See our other reviews from the Sydney Fringe Festival in the link below
Tickets and Practical Info for Sorry I’m Late at Sydney Fringe 🎟️
The Actors Pulse Studio Redfern
As part of Sydney Fringe Festival 2026
Through September 5th
Productions credits:
Writer, Producer, Cast (Dorothy) – Izzy Azzopardi
Producer, Cast (Mackenzie) – Jessica Garnett
Director – Rebecca McNamee
Production Designer – Daisy Hughes
Lighting Designer – Lila Browning
Sound Designer – Tait Gibbons
Rehearsal Assistant – Lara Koscis
