WA actor and playwright Will O’Mahony’s Tonsils + Tweezers had its Sydney premiere in 2018 in a Kings Cross Theatre production. It’s heartening to see it join that small cohort of independently produced Australian plays to get a second run in this city – this time in the late-night slot at the Old Fitzroy.

“Tonsils” and “Tweezers” are the nicknames bestowed on a tightly bonded pair of high-square pegs whose relationship has endured long after graduation. One of their strongest bonds lies in the fact that they were both victims of the so-called “fountain gang”, who lorded it over the schoolyard bubbler.

Ariyan Sharma and Victor Y Z Xu: Tonsils + Tweezers. Photo © Nicholas Warrand

Now that a 10-year high school reunion looms, Tweezers’ agitation is building. An encounter with one of his old tormentors, Max – now working for McDonald’s as a building site scout – does little to mollify him. He has a plan, he tells Tonsils, one that will make the reunion truly and terribly memorable.

O’Mahony’s (somewhat overused) central metaphor is that of the binary star: the astrophysical phenomenon in which two stars orbit a common centre of mass, bound by gravity. To say much more about Tonsils and Tweezers’ present-day dynamic would mean venturing into spoiler territory. It’s plenty enough to say that, as with many binary systems, one body is plainly visible while the other is only detectable by inference – by the wobble it imparts on its partner.

Tonsils + Tweezers. Photo © Nicholas Warrand

Director Lucy Rossen’s staging is playful and inventive within the limits of the late-night slot. She makes good use of the early show’s set of semi-translucent flats and curtains. The surreal touches (masks; shadowplay) are welcome. The lead performers maintain a strong contrast: Ariyan Sharma is a mercurial Tonsils; Victor Y Z Xu is effective as the brooding, reticent Tweezers.

Toby Carey is deadpan funny in the role of Max, the former “fountain boy” now nursing dreams of becoming a stage actor. Caitlin Green contributes some winning moments in a variety of roles and voices, including those in Tweezers’ revenge-focused head.

Tonsils + Tweezers plays at the Old Fitzroy Theatre until 27 February.