AUSTRALIA
MELBOURNE
CHAPEL OFF CHAPEL
January 30 - February 21, 2026
SYDNEY
ETERNITY PLAYHOUSE
February 26 - March 22, 2026
the climax is just the beginning
S. Asher Gelman's international hit play Afterglow is heading to Melbourne for its highly anticipated Australian premiere!
When Josh and Alex, a married couple in an open relationship, invite Darius to share their bed for a night, a new and intimate connection is ignited. As all three men come to terms with their individual definitions of love, loyalty and trust – relationships are challenged and futures are shaken. A raw, funny and sensual exploration of polyamory, commitment and modern love.
After its critical success Off-Broadway and productions around the globe, Afterglow now brings its modern, intimate exploration of desire, honesty and connection to Melbourne audiences!
MEET THE CAST
JULIAN CURTIS (Alex) is a NIDA graduate. In 2025, he has filmed supporting roles in feature films Hershey (opposite Finn Wittrock), The Tacoma Exorcism (directed by Julius Avery) and indie sequel All My Friends Are Back In Brisbane.
He has appeared on television in both Australia and the United States: highlights include a series regular role on Are You Afraid of the Dark? (nominated for a 2024 Emmy for Outstanding Children’s Series) and Bryan Singer’s HULU limited series Spooked; recurring on ABC’s Dance Academy and mini-series East West 101 to name a few.
He has worked for many Australian theatre companies including Queensland Theatre (Bernhardt/Hamlet, 25 Down, Gaslight); Playlab (Magpie, Horizon and the upcoming Paradigm); LaBoite (Dead Devils of Cockle Creek, The Glass Menagerie); Sydney Theatre Company (Embers, Gallipoli); Darlinghurst Theatre (La Dispute); Riverside (Shakespeare’s R&J); Shake & Stir (Wuthering Heights) and True West for Brisbane Powerhouse - for which he won a Matilda Award.
As a writer, he has been produced twice by Screen QLD (Power the Kid, And the Winner Is); and his debut play Legacy was developed via Playwriting Australia. In 2025, he directed an ambitious period short about the Italian proxy bride experience currently in post and partly funded by Campari/MIFF (The Long Passeggiata); and has been commissioned by Brisbane City Council to write his second full length play.
MATTHEW MITCHAM (Josh) Matthew Mitcham OAM OLY is a retired Australian diver.
Matthew is credited with having received the highest single-dive score in Olympic history. At the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, Mitcham chose to execute a two-and-one-half somersault with two-and-one-half twists in the pike position for his last dive. The dive had a very high degree of difficulty with 3.8. Mitcham scored four 10’s, giving him, not only the highest score on a single dive ever, but the gold medal for the event as well.
This made him the first openly gay athlete to win an Olympic gold medal!
Mitcham wrote his autobiography in 2012, “Twists and Turns.” Soon afterward, it was made into a musical cabaret show, starring Mitcham, and travelled around Australia (2014-17) getting great reviews. The Australian Stage said: “… a born performer who soon has the audience eating out of his hand. …utterly charming character … innate talent” while the West Australian newspaper described him as “a likable and engaging performer”. The show won the Best Cabaret award at the Perth Fringeworld Festival 2014.
Matthew was in the 2019 television series “The Pool”, in the 2021 film “We all lie my darlings” and made his UK stage debut in the 2023 revival of “Strangers In Between” playing the dual roles of Ben/Will to unanimously positive reviews. Earlier this year he made his West End debut as Simon in the play “Jock Night”.
When Matthew isn’t on stage or screen, he works with Compete Proud to improve diversity and inclusion in sport. He volunteers for the London-based charity Proud Sports to facilitate access to inclusive sports sessions for LGBTQ+ people.
He also volunteers as a keyworker for the charity Controlling Chemsex, to help people struggling with chemsex addiction, and has been very open about his history with ADHD, anxiety and addiction.
MATTHEW PREDNY (Darius) Shortly after graduating from NIDA Matthew won the lead role of Princeton & Rod in Avenue Q. Other musical credits include Titanique, Murder for Two, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Jekyll & Hyde, High Fidelity, Gypsy, Fiddler on the Roof, Kinky Boots, Yarramadoon the Musical, Into the Woods, Meet Me in St Louis, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, Who’s Your Baghdaddy, Paw Patrol Live! Matthew is an award-winning writer, composer and musical director for both film and stage.
WILL LONSDALE (Swing) is an Australian actor from Wagga Wagga. Throughout his whole life he has held a strong passion for the imagination, and for the transcendent power of a good story. While cutting his teeth at WAAPA, Will won the peer-voted Finley award for most improved actor. It’s a moment he takes deep pride in. Some of Will's favourite credits include King Lear: a cutting reinterpretation of the classic, Fistful: a beautiful film about growing up queer in regional Australia, and Fatherland: a dynamically choreographed play that told several men's true stories about their relationship with their dads.
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
S. ASHER GELMAN (Writer, Director, & Choreographer) is a director, choreographer, playwright, and producer. He is the Artistic Director of Midnight Theatricals, through which he produced and directed his first play, Afterglow. The show premiered Off-Broadway in the summer of 2017, ran for 14 months, and continues to see productions around the world. In 2022, he directed a critically acclaimed production of Afterglow in Los Angeles, which was extended multiple times due to popular demand and in 2024, he directed and choreographed a sold-out production in London that received widespread acclaim.
Also in 2024, Asher wrote and directed his third play, the Lortel-nominated Scarlett Dreams, which enjoyed a successful and widely praised Off-Broadway run. That same year, he executive produced two critically acclaimed documentaries: The American Question and Sabbath Queen.
His earlier producing credits include the 2019 Off-Broadway productions of the cult musical We Are the Tigers and his second play, safeword, which he also directed. He directed and choreographed two dance films: The Greatest City in the World and in memoriam, the latter a 30-minute, site-specific solo captured in a single, continuous take.
Asher’s next play, The Zionists: A Family Storm, is set to premiere at Miami New Drama in Spring 2026.
Originally from Chevy Chase, Maryland, Asher holds a B.A. in Dance and Theater from Bard College and an M.F.A. in Dance from The George Washington University. He is the cofounder and founding Artistic Director (2013–2016) of The Stage, Tel Aviv’s premier English-language performing arts organization. From 2016 to 2022, he served on the Advisory Board of the Fisher Center at Bard. He lives in New York City with his husband, Mati, his partner, Stefano, and their two cats, Grogu and Rambi.