by Hope Challis
A rock ballad hits its crescendo as best friends Josh and Rachel confront each other, declaring: “I can’t hold back what I feel, I know this is the real deal… this is me and I’m not your fantasy”.
The line will resonate with Australian youth, especially those further isolated by the nation’s world-first social media ban for under 16-year-olds, a policy hitting marginalised and rural communities hardest.
As Out of My Comfort Zone: A New Rock Musical director Ivy Vale explains: “there was bullying during the epidemic going on… I felt helpless and wanted to do something.”
Adapted from the hit off-Broadway musical, Out of My Comfort Zone: A New Rock Musical is an electrifying coming of age story exploring the mental health toll of growing up online and the pressures of masking identity and emotion. Its genre-blending score of catchy rock influenced songs composed by Rick Reil with lyrics by Vale, capture the euphoric highs and devastating lows of adolescence, grounding themes of resilience, cyberbullying, friendship, LGBTQ+ and gender identity acceptance.
Josh (Will Ehren, above) and Rachel’s (Violet Vale, in her breakout role, below) friendship is tested by a cyberbully, “The Viper” (Michael Flynn), who is determined to expose their secrets. Age-appropriate casting and real locations ground the story in gritty reality. As Vale puts it, “teens need to see themselves authentically represented in the media they absorb. This helps foster acceptance and a feeling of belonging.”
Premiering in 2015, the stage production later expanded to London playing to sold-out audiences before becoming an award-winning festival film. Its Australian release coincided with the social media ban, making its focus on reducing the impact of mental health, self-harm, youth suicide, and isolation more than relevant. Rick Reil reinforces this, arguing that “social media is pervasive, incredibly influential, and ubiquitous in the world of young people. Adults who don’t see this are seriously out of touch.”
Editing and lighting heighten dramatic moments such as the spotlight on Josh underscoring his isolation, and the backlighting during the football field confrontation. Ambitious for an indie production, its animated illustrations (by VFX2GO and James Lopez, Disney animator) add character and the cast deliver endearing performances. As Vale notes, “Violet and Will originated the roles of Rachel and Josh in the off-Broadway play. For the film, they both pushed themselves deeper into their characters… their chemistry on-screen speaks for itself, especially during the duet ‘Confused’”.
This commitment to emotional realism supports the film’s core themes, even as lyrics and dialogue may resonate differently with Australian audiences due to cultural differences.
Ehren brings vulnerability to Josh’s journey to find belonging against society’s expectations, while Violet Vale delivers emotional realism to Rachel as her world view comes crashing down. Their duets ‘The Real Deal’ and ‘I Don’t Wanna Be Just Friends’ display the raw emotional angst and believable chemistry that they forged on the stage. As Reil notes, “Marginalised teens and LGBTQ+ teens are greatly persecuted and are suffering. Social media brings that to light in a matter that cannot be ignored. We saw LGBTQ+ teens in anguish on social media because their parents had disowned them for their sexual orientation, as if it was something they could switch off on command. This social and moral injustice moved us to make those struggles central to the film.”
Flynn anchors the film’s themes with ‘I am Not a Bully’, exploring volatile reactions that teens take to gain agency over others. While the film gives Josh and Rachel depth, at times it leans into a more tell than show approach, especially with its antagonist the Viper.
Supporting the leads is a talented ensemble who balance comedy, drama, and heartfelt inclusion. But it is Igby Rigney who stands out as the film’s emotional anchor. In his first film role, written for him at his request as a teenager, Rigney brings a charismatic earnestness to the unmasked Brad, whose affirming kindness and vulnerable digital confession empower Josh to embrace his authentic self. Brad gently challenges toxic masculinity, mirroring how teens navigate connections. As Vale explains, “Brad is someone who shows what it is to be comfortable in one’s own skin and with who he is. This is the opposite of Josh, who is struggling.”
Rigney’s performance prioritises subtlety over spectacle. This contrasts with his ‘masking’ roles, such as The Midnight Club’s Kevin Carter, where he offered a nuanced portrayal of chronic illness alongside vocal fatigue informed by his psychology studies. His portrayal of Little Nick in Double Down South explored the physical complexities of monocular vision, while in Ryan Murphy’s upcoming The Shards, he plays Bret Easton Ellis navigating inauthentic, calculating social masking. Brad serves as an early indicator of Rigney’s commitment to authentic representation. As Vale notes, she knew “how committed Igby was as an actor and trusted that he would embrace whatever role he was given,” aligning with her own directorial preference for socially conscious, inclusive storytelling and casting.
From its beginning supported by Theatre Development Fund (TDF) and Children’s Acting Academy, it has grown into an award-winning festival film continuing to centre young diverse voices. Vale asks: “if young people see themselves represented in real ways, they won’t feel so alone. If tolerance isn’t taught from an early age, how will anyone find acceptance?” This commitment is clear in the uplifting numbers ‘Nothing to Be Afraid Of’ and ‘Don’t Be So Stereotypical’.
Out of My Comfort Zone: A New Rock Musical is a heartfelt film encouraging honest conversation about tough issues and to not avoid them in favour of lighter easy topics. It provides vital representation for today’s digital natives. As Vale puts it, the film “was written to bring hope and positivity to kids who feel alone or not normal; instead of dimming their light, lets encourage kids to be who they are.”
Out of My Comfort Zone: A New Rock Musical is available to buy or rent through Apple TV or streamed for free on Tubi. With its soundtrack available on Spotify and major streaming platforms.
Hope Challis is an Adelaide-based arts writer, Adelaide Correspondent for Theatre Thoughts Australia and a Paediatric Occupational Therapist.
