The Heartbreak Choir
Writer: Aidan Fennessy
Director: Anna Ledwich
Ensemble Theatre, Kirribilli
November 29, 2024 – January 12, 2025
The Heartbreak Choir is a play which negotiates an uncertain emotional road, fraught with ethical decisions, towards a feel-good ending. When five members break away from their core choir, for reasons which become apparent later, the dark undercurrents are leavened by the camaraderie and humour generated as they try to rebrand themselves into a new choral force.
Director Anna Ledwich has done a fine job of balancing the mixture of grief and humour in the play, via strong character development in her actors, and by emphasising the healing power of community and music.
The breakaway group is led by Barbara (Valerie Bader), who provides a cohesive role for its new direction. There’s a warm touch of deja vous when she enters the set (Nick Fry) as it’s an amusing recreation of every community hall found anywhere – the honour roll, the picture of the late queen, an old piano, a recalcitrant wall heater, plastic chairs and the roll-down serving hatch are all standard equipment.
The rest of the group gradually drifts in. There’s Aseni (Nancy Denis), the ex-Zimbabwean, pregnant and serene in her impending motherhood. There’s the mother-and-daughter team of Mack (Carita Farrer Spencer) and Savannah (Tyallah Bullock). Mack is a loud and cheerful country town stalwart, while Samantha is extremely reserved, except when she stands up to sing. Totty (Georgina Symes) is the last to arrive. Though a bit rough round the edges, Totty is also generously wealthy and it’s her financial help and can-do attitude that helps the group weather some bumps in the road ahead. Almost immediately they gather and sing a lovely acapella rendition of an uplifting number – the healing has begun.
Soon the discussion falls to administrative matters: they have all the vocal ranges but no bass. Enter Peter (Jay Laga’aia), together with his teenage son, Beau (Jasper Lee-Lindsay). Peter, the local policeman, seems to have snuck in, in the hope of being asked to audition. He does, and the group has their bass!
Peter is also the widower of Caro, a choir member who recently died by suicide. The reasons for her death led to the schism from their former choir. It seems this group is also still in mourning for Caro, who was also their mutual friend. Inevitably, between the humourous chatter and repartee, some in turn break down in tears.
Throughout the play when this interlarding of grief and humour creates a too intense emotional mix, the singers gain relief by way of their music – their acapella numbers are beautifully sung, under the guidance of musical director, Sally Whitwell.
This Ensemble offering is just in time for the festive season with its customary messages of hope and goodwill. Certainly, the enthusiastic audience showed their appreciation by giving these excellent actors a rousing standing ovation – make a big effort to see it!
