Rising star of stage and screen Lawrence Hawkins (Dear Evan Hansen, Neighbours) and digital creator Guy Vadas (aka @potteryboy with 1.5M followers on TikTok in his acting debut) star in SITUATIONSHIP, a 26-episode vertical micro-drama premiering globally on National Coming Out Day, October 11, 2026.
Created and directed by queer Latinx filmmaker Roberto Nascimento, the 9:16 series is anchored by the undeniable chemistry between Hawkins and Vadas, alongside a special appearance by award-winning Trans-Tasman screen icon Danielle Cormack (Wentworth, Rake).
SITUATIONSHIP dives headfirst into the grey area of modern fluid dating, post-breakup identity, and accidental intimacy. The series follows Leo (Hawkins), a 20-something newcomer to Sydney who is attempting to rebuild his life. When he moves in with Max (Vadas) - an irresistibly cool, warm housemate who makes a new city feel like home - a casual spark quickly blurs the line between flatmates and something far more confusing.
"At its heart, SITUATIONSHIP is about how vulnerable it feels to start over and put your heart out there when you don't have a playbook," says lead actor Lawrence Hawkins. "Guy and I wanted to capture that awkward, deeply honest tension that happens when the person who gives you a soft place to land is also the person giving you mixed signals."
“Stepping into acting with this story felt completely natural because these dynamics are so real to how people date and connect today," says Guy Vadas. "Creating this story in a small screen format means bringing viewers directly into the room with us - every awkward pause, every laugh, and every unsaid word."
Joining the production in a fittingly mobile fashion, Danielle Cormack shares:
“SITUATIONSHIP made me laugh because there’s so much that’s painfully recognisable about the story. I remember moving to a new city when I was younger and that strange mix of excitement and loneliness, and having to find your people and work out where you fit. Playing Leo's mum was one of the more unusual jobs I’ve had in that it was all by phone and I wasn’t on set. It’s great that the way we tell stories keeps diversifying. Vertical is a whole new playground, and why not?”
The ensemble cast also features Joe Romeo as Dante, an earnest romantic Leo meets on Grindr, and Gemma Dart as Jordan, a magnetic force who turns their dynamic upside down.
Originally captured with cinematic scope and carefully tailored for vertical feeds across TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, SITUATIONSHIP bridges high-production drama with the immediacy of mobile storytelling.
The 26-episode series drops from Sunday, October 11, in celebration and solidarity with National Coming Out Day, as trans performer Hawkins offers:
“Launching SITUATIONSHIP on National Coming Out Day is significant. It’s a day that is about visibility as much as it is allyship and support. I feel proud to play a role in telling this story about navigating love, identity, and modern dating as a queer person, and as a trans actor, there is an added layer of inherent representation. I hope this series shows young trans and queer viewers a piece of themselves - of our stories - where they hadn’t seen them before.”
Creator Roberto Nascinmento agrees:
"National Coming Out Day has always been about honoring every step of someone's journey, whether they are taking their first steps or simply figuring out who they are. SITUATIONSHIP is an ode to those messy in-between moments: navigating new cities, modern dating apps, and unexpected sparks."
SITUATIONSHIP is launching globally on October 11 across Instagram: @situationshipseries | TikTok @situationshipseries | & YouTube Shorts.