First-year Dramatic Writing student Eloise Aiken is an emerging artist making her mark on the Sydney theatre scene. Her new play, Crotchless, has been supported by the Katie Lees Foundation, taking it from part of her submission for her NIDA application to a full production at Flight Path Theatre. We spoke with Eloise about developing new work while studying, as well as the stunning impact of receiving the Katie Lees Fellowship.
Can you tell us a bit about your new play Crotchless and what inspired this work?
Crotchless is about seventeen-year-old Shona who is deep in the private hell of girlhood. Her crush is borderline ghosting her; her mother won’t let her get face framing highlights, and she’s constantly battling her bush in the hopes that she’ll stop being a chronic loser virgin. To make matters worse, her brother is falling deeper into the manosphere. Shona and her mother are forced to drop everything to try and save him from the red pill, if it’s not already too late.
Crotchless came from my research into why many young men are moving towards conservatism, and how that impacts their relationships with the women in their families. I thought Adolescence was a very powerful, very scary show, and I wanted to explore similar themes but through a young teenage girl’s perspective.

Your protagonist, Shona, is funny and tragically relatable for young women. How did you find her voice, and has it evolved as your script developed?’
Well, as a funny and tragically relatable young woman myself, it was second nature really. I think the experience of being a young teenage girl is both a humiliating nightmare and hilarious. I would never wish to be 17 again. Crotchless was originally a one woman show that I submitted in my application for NIDA, but I’ve found that in developing it to be a three-hander, Shona’s voice has become richer and more interesting. It’s much more fun to see how a teenage girl’s personality will shift between her friend, her crush, her mother and her brother.
The ‘manosphere’ is particularly highlighted as a central conflict for your fictional family. What drew you to this theme, and how have you approached writing about such a serious topic with humour?
I find it fascinating how many young men are moving towards conservatism. During my research for this play I downloaded TikTok and created a new account and followed only gym creators and a few accounts like Logan Paul and barstoolsports. It was really concerning how quickly I was fed content that promoted violence against women and a general hatred towards ‘females’. Towards the end of writing this play, Charlie Kirk was shot, and I was shocked by how many people on my social media and community had been exposed to figures like him and were rallying behind his ideologies. And whilst this is obviously objectively not a funny topic, I have always found satire to be a powerful tool in exposing how ridiculous but also dangerous these systems of power are.
What has it been like collaborating with fellow NIDA alumni, Esha Jessy (Acting, 2024) and Kurt Ramjan (Acting, 2017), on this project? Any highlights from the rehearsal room?
Esha and Kurt, having worked together before on Amber at the Old Fitz, came in with this built in performance chemistry. They play twins in Crotchless, and it feels like you’re truly watching a brother and sister on stage. It’s such a pleasure to see them have so much fun rehearsing, they’re both absurdly funny and the offers they’ve made have brought the script to life in a way I am really excited to see on stage. They’re the real deal.

Has studying at NIDA shaped the story of Crotchless in any way, from concept to finished script?
It has been so great to be writing this play alongside studying at NIDA. I was particularly fortunate to have Elias Jamieson Brown as my theatre tutor, the way that he conceptualises and talks about theatre was so informative to my writing process. My Course Leader Joe Hepworth has also been extremely supportive and has made the process of balancing both NIDA and the Fellowship very smooth.
Congratulations on being awarded the Katie Lees Fellowship! How did receiving this support influence the scope or ambition of Crotchless?
The support from the Katie Lees Foundation has been invaluable. It is notoriously difficult to get an emerging show up in the Sydney theatre scene and having the support to see a show from pitch to development to full production has been such a privilege. The foundation has allowed me to meet so many creatives that have taught me so much and played incredibly important roles in the development of Crotchless. The team that I’ve been able to work with because of the Foundation has been brilliant, and I’m so proud of the show that they have made with this script.
What do you hope audiences walk away from this play with?
I hope they laugh, and I hope they have a juicy conversation about it at the pub after. That is all I hope for as a playwright.
Book tickets to Crotchless playing at Flight Path Theatre from 4 – 8 November.