The internet is possibly the most powerful force we know – well that and gravity. It is, like all power subject to extreme abuse. The anonymity of some on the internet is empowering to the coward – and simultaneously weakens the social fabric. It is a force that is unstoppable – and no-one knows this – or the irony of expressing this via a blog, better than me.

In the self-imposed prison of his bedroom, Johnny, a teenage boy, is free. Logging on as a woman he enters into an online relationship with Marky Mark. The Blurb goes like this: “One night he poses online as a girl named Alba J and entices gullible chat room virgin Marky Mark into an explicit conversation. As Johnny’s infatuation grows, he creates a string of fictitious characters – a serial killer, a female secret service agent and multiple family members of Alba J – all in pursuit of getting what he most desires.”

Written by Melbourne-based playwright Adam J.A.Cass inspired by a story of a 14 year old British boy http://www.vanityfair.com/ontheweb/features/2005/02/bachrach200502 David Bertold’s production is clear, slick – incorporating data projection with simple story-telling. And what comes through is not only the overwhelming storytelling talent of Johnny the character – to keep track of a wild web of narrative which spins into the imagination and reality of Marky Mark, but the impressive storytelling talent of one actor (Leon Cain) recounting the story and summonsing the audience’s imagination.

In the case of reality – in this case it is wilder than this particular fiction. But to condense the real story into an evening show is no mean feat. What results is a succinct and soft focus study on the awkwardness of teenage identity and the hyperbolic flaws of teenage imagination – a few over-shares and a few unreasonable/unfeasible flights of fancy, add humour to what would otherwise be a hard going story full of aliases and invented personas.