If you want to come to this party, you have to follow the rules. Using the red-amber-green traffic light system, you dress to express your romantic availability: Red means ‘committed’; amber means ‘it’s complicated’’; and green means go, go go. 

But as anyone who has spent time in Sydney traffic will tell you, not everyone has the same understanding of the rules. We’re a city of habitual amber light racers and red light runners.

Traffic Light Party. Photo © Jade Bell

Playwright Izzy Azzopardi uses a road rules conceit to spotlight contemporary romantic culture in a play that charts the party’s messy evolution in a series of increasingly wayward vignettes.

Scarlett (Meg Denman) opts for red. Her partner of five months isn’t up for meeting her friends and has stayed away, however. Gender fluid Sunny (Renée Billing) wears yellow; Claire (Grace Easterby) is wearing green but that doesn’t mean anything goes.

Amber (Caitlin Green) and Samson (Isaac Harley) are in a situationship that has yet to evolve into something exclusive – at least in Samson’s mind.

Phoenix (Travis Howard) turns up in a red singlet red insisting he didn’t get the memo about the dress code. His lover Reid (Jordy Stewart), a closeted school rugby champ (wearing green), has got the message but is a long way from being able to acknowledge their relationship.

Then there’s Ivy (Azzopardi), who’s flashing all three colours. Work that out if you can.

Traffic Light Party. Photo © Jade Bell

Director-designer Brea Macey has developed a tightly choreographed production that uses hand-held perspex panels to create temporary screens and walls. Visually, it’s a stimulating ploy though the panels do create some acoustic challenges – even in a room as small as this. Macey’s use of the KXT traverse isn’t always optimal, either, and you may find yourself isolated from what is being said. The traffic light/road rules motif soaks up more time than it should – as do some of the later  scenes, which leave you feel more like an eavesdropper than an audience member. 

But strong performances help carry you over the flat spots and judging by the mix of laughter and rueful groans elicited from the audience, Traffic Light Party is on the money.

Traffic Light Party plays at KXT on Broadway, Sydney until 7 February.