Everyone knows that a fantasy story is only as good as its dragon. So Adam Kelly cuts right to the chase in Dragon I.
Part auto-biography, part TedTalk, and part cautionary tale, Kelly and his gaggle of dragons navigate his experience as a writer on the autism spectrum. All while stacking up against the growing prominence of A.I.
During his introduction, Kelly hooks the audience immediately by having everyone collaborate on a dragon design. Each show sees them assembling their creature from pieces of hand drawn art.
The audience also helps with naming the dragon and giving it a personality. While this opening act was a fun endeavour, sadly, the finished character is quite disconnected from the show’s main action.
The show is both wonderfully accessible and interactive. Kelly calls on the audience to help decide which details of his fantasy stories get delved into. Pencils and paper were provided for the audience to use at their leisure throughout the show. Kelly encouraged everyone to draw a dragon and add their contribution to a community wall.
Kelly then throws us full force into the fantasy world of Myrithia.
These dragons come equipped with an encyclopedia of lore penned by Kelly. While overwhelming at first, his infectious excitement and unabashed pride keeps the audience in the palm of his hand.
The tone of the show then shifts dramatically as Kelly’s bubbly assistant Jade is replaced by an A.I counterpart. These segments are pulled off precisely with multiple video elements on screens, the A.I going from eerily cheerful to delightfully icy.There were also some choice lines mocking the more parasitic qualities A.I has introduced to creative industries.
Kelly is pulled deeper into the A.I rabbit hole by the desire to finish his books, in spite of the hardships he faces while writing, a struggle that hits close to home for almost every creative.
Despite some on stage nerves and a familiar metaphor, Kelly’s internal struggle between the promise of success and upholding the integrity of his work is a believable and effective one. Dragon I also delivers an ending that leaves the audience wondering about the future.
If you can’t get enough high fantasy, or you’re a creative trying to find your place in a changing online landscape, you will find comfort in Dragon I.
Dragon I was part of Perth Festival 2026.