Rehearsing You're Not Special: From the Back Deck to Black Box Theatre

With just a few weeks to go until opening night, things are heating up — and not just because it's winter in Queensland. You're Not Special, our latest production at Staged Theatre, has been coming to life in a slightly unconventional (but completely perfect) rehearsal space: Caitie and Riley’s back deck.

Yes, really.

There’s something kind of poetic about rehearsing a play about modern connection, digital disconnection, and emotional vulnerability in such a raw and honest setting. Caitie Elliott (April-May) and Riley Scott (Dan) have generously opened up their covered back deck, which has become our unofficial rehearsal room. With just enough space to mock up the bed-and-bedroom setup the script calls for, and enough fresh air to keep things feeling grounded, it’s the perfect place to dig into a show that is all about what happens behind closed doors.

Dan (Riley Scott) demonstrates that one perk of rehearsing at home means trackpants, always.

The deck has seen late-night line runs, unexpected moments of truth, and a lot of pacing back and forth (mostly in socks). It’s also seen some of the funniest and most heartbreaking moments take shape — because You’re Not Special is that kind of play. It’s sharp, darkly funny, and painfully real. It explores love, identity, and the blurry edges of intimacy in a world that’s always online.

Our team is small but mighty, and that energy carries through every rehearsal. There’s something special about navigating rehearsals in a non-traditional space — not in a theatre, but on a back deck, with birds overhead and the occasional bark from Caitie's dog, Skye, reminding us that she's just as much a part of this show as we are, thank you.

It’s informal, honest, and weirdly perfect for a play about blurred boundaries, private moments, and how close we really let people get.

We'll be moving into the Black Box Theatre soon to finesse the blocking, lighting and final details — but for now, the deck has given us something magic. A space to take risks. To get uncomfortable. To figure out what this show is really about.

We can’t wait to share it with you.

You're Not Special runs July 11–13 and 18–20 at the Black Box Theatre, Nambour

Tickets available now via TryBooking.