Your director, Dean Bryant, has done it again. Turned a depressing topic into an uplifting musical. Last year we had songs of hope set against a story of teen suicide (in Dear Evan Hansen), and now you’re giving us inspiring tunes to accompany elder abuse in aged care. Talk about juxtaposition!
Your setting is the fictional Pine Grove Aged Care Centre, run by the gleefully cruel Mrs MacIntyre – whose unwavering dedication to cost-cutting weighs heavily on the residents’ quality of life. One of her latest budget-bolstering ideas is to provide free board to Finn Bailey, an unqualified uni student, in return for his assistance with looking after the residents.
An aged care facility in any setting is a morose destination. However, your script validates the everyday fears and frustrations we have in growing older – resonating most strongly, as we would expect, with the silver-haired members of your audience. Your set replicates the clinical, muted feel of a hospital so well, that by the end of the 1 hour and 45 minutes, we genuinely feel the residents’ claustrophobia and desperation. It’s an uncomfortable topic really, and so completely relevant to today’s society.
But you’re a musical comedy! And that means you get to be equal parts thought-provoking, terrifying, and entertaining. After all, you’re written by Tom Gleisner, the guy responsible for giving us The Castle, The Dish, Utopia, Have You Been Paying Attention?, and Thank God You’re Here. As a result, your humour is in that sweet spot that a good comedian understands well: that the best comedy comes from content that strikes close to home. The more outrageous and shocking the reality is, the funnier the jokes can be. (How else to explain why there’s a Trump meme for everything?)
Sure, you’ve built your satirical humour around the appalling treatment of these vulnerable older persons. But we can’t stop chortling with delight. Evelyn Krape as Rose, a new resident who is wonderfully spirited and stubborn, leads the charge in drumming up the laughs. She’s the perfect match for Christie Whelan Browne as Mrs MacIntyre – the only villain any musical could ever need.
Of course, in your quest to appeal to a broader audience, we also have Vidya Makan as Ruby, an aged-care worker with big dreams and lofty ideals. Having recently played Elisa Hamilton in the recent Sydney run, Vidya’s vocals bring the ‘musical’ to your ‘theatre’. Christina O’Neill as Gloria, another of Pine Grove’s sympathetic workers, also stuns during her solo.
Slone Sudiro, as Finn, the young twenty-something music student, perfectly conveys the current generation – entitled, brash, and lazy. But with an abundance of puppy-dog charm that wins us over instantly. (Damn those Gen Zs). And despite your various romantic sub-plots, it’s actually the bond that develops between Finn and new resident Rose that is the most heartwarming to watch.
The older generation of cast members are each individually first-class actors with brilliant comedic timing – including John Waters, Jackie Rees, John O’May, Eddie Muliaumaseali’i, and Maria Mercedes. Oh, and look out for the Pine Grove residents’ choir! What a lustrous sound.
Bloom – you’ve bravely taken us on a journey to the less glamorous stage of life. But you’re not about the end of life at all. You’re about the joy of being alive, living life to the full, and never believing it’s too late. Indeed, let’s celebrate our older people. After all, they’re such unique individuals with fascinating stories to tell, if only we took the time to listen.
Gotta go – we’ve got a missed call from our ageing parents we need to return.
With love,
Sydney Theatre Company’s Bloom is showing at the Roslyn Packer Theatre until 11 May 2025. Photos by Daniel Boud.
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