THESE YOUTHS BE PROTESTING - Review

Date of Performance: 9 April 2025
Reviewed by: Dro Abad 

Three Words:  Reduce. Reuse. Riot.  

Similar To:  Derry Girls meets Don't Look Up in detention.  

Best Thing: Rachel Thomas as Georgie - warm, hilarious, and effortlessly watchable.  

Worst Thing: The character of Lemon was set up as selfish and power-hungry, but didn’t really get  her moment to redeem herself. The speech near the end showed a glimpse of  something softer, but the scene cut too quickly to let it land.  

Reason to Stay:  A smart and spirited reminder that today’s youth are more switched-on than ever -  and yet still feel totally powerless. That tension is captured so well through characters like Jimbo, whose chaos and desperate dream of getting on TV aren’t just funny -  they’re quietly tragic in the most relatable way.  

Reason to Leave: If you're expecting a polished PSA about climate change, you’ll be surprised. This is messier. And better because of it.  

Watch if you feel like: Laughing, cringing at your high school memories, and feeling called out by a recycling bin.  

What My Guest Thought: ‘It’s scary how it closely resembled a school environment, and also fantastic and slightly satirical - It pokes fun at the current state of politics and environmental activism. Funny and engaging.’

Best Line of Dialogue: “It all starts with the bin.”  

How the Audience Reacted: Non-stop laughter from the start. Someone snort-laughed. Twice.  

If I Could Change One Thing: More Georgie and Jimbo scenes! Their rapport was fizzy and fun. 

Lighting:  Effective and well-timed - especially during transitions and “travel” scenes. Nice  work from Caitlyn Cowan.  

Set/Costume: The set did its job - stylised and immersive, with just enough cues to place us on school grounds without being too literal. The posters flipping to reveal a politician’s campaign signage was a clever and cheeky touch. Costumes looked more like how 25-year-olds think teens dress, but it worked. And that mysterious backdrop? A cliff?  A cave? Some kind of symbol? No idea. Vibes.  

Writing: Izabella Louk’s script is sharp, playful, and full of heart. It balances satire and sincerity with a confidence you don’t often see in debut work. The story has a clear shape but isn’t afraid to get messy - just like activism, and just like being a teenager.  

Directing: Tonally confident and paced with purpose. While some exits in the in-the-round setup got clunky (my shoe had a near-death experience), scenes like the slow-mo trip to Sydney hit all the right beats. Satire, sincerity, and schoolyard politics blended seamlessly.  

Overall: A smart, scrappy, and surprisingly emotional piece that doesn’t just parody youth activism - It honours it, even when it’s a bit lost or loud. You’ll laugh, maybe flinch, and definitely rethink your recycling habits. If you ever felt helpless in high school and worried about the planet, These Youths Be  Protesting is your mirror and your megaphone. The play, written by rising talent Izabella Louk, captures the messy mix of hope, confusion, and sarcasm that defines today’s teens. It’s a love letter to those who care deeply but don’t always know how to show it - and sometimes hide it behind a joke about bins.  

My Review in Emojis: ♻️🎥😂 🪵

Diamond Rating (out of 5): 💎💎💎💎

Runs Until: 19 April

Tickets can be bought at: https://www.kingsxtheatre.com/these-youths-be-protesting