It’s not an original story: a hopeless girl from Brooklyn looking for love in all the wrong places. The premise is so well-worn that it presents a daunting task – how does one re-invent the wheel, while both playing homage to an iconic play filled with iconic roles, at the same time as avoiding cliché? Can you teach an old dog new tricks?
Luckily, the talent at the newly established Hayes theatre company are savvy enough to know that an overhaul is not what this play calls for – the key to it’s longevity is that its themes – though simple – are also universal. Provocation is not the aim here – it’s authenticity. The approach taken is not to break new ground, but to firmly claim ownership of the territory, and that they have done well, producing a slick, sharp and snappy crowd-pleaser that sets the bar satisfyingly high for musical theatre in Sydney. While many production companies are sweating for originality, Hayes gives your internal critic the night off, and invites you to sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.
Verity Hunt-Ballard is delightful as the goofy, gawky dance hall hostess Charity, and the success of this production owes much to her effortless likeability. Hunt-Ballard’s infectious enthusiasm brought out the inner-girly-girl in the audience, and even had a cynical feminist such as myself rooting for love, marriage and a dozen squealing babies. Martin Crewes, playing three different characters opposite Hunt-Ballard, shows impressive range and an equally impressive set of vocals as the casanova Vittorio. Re-invented as Vittorio’s polar opposite, Oscar, he shows impressive comic timing, and his artfully executed character shift is the only thing subtle in this play. There’s not much in the way of chemistry between the two, but that’s ok. Charity and Oscar are more a brother and sister couple than a Romeo and Juliet one.
The musical numbers are bold, brassy and fun, particularly sweet is the unlikely love serenade ‘Bravest Individual’. ‘There’s Gotta Be Something Better Than This’ is a fierce showcase for the impressive supporting talent, and new meaning is given to ‘The Rhythm of Life’, which scores extra points for excellent use of a tearaway. Design is as tasteful as a strip-club gets, appropriately simple for the small venue. Particularly enjoyable is the nightclub scene, a glamorous nod to Fellini, on whose screenplay Sweet Charity was originally based. I was prepared for a saccharine ending but was pleasantly surprised. The concluding sentiment is one of hope within despair, and that is really as optimistic as it gets for someone in Charity’s shoes.
This play isn’t going to teach you anything new, but perhaps it will remind you of a few things worth re-learning. The nostalgic power of Broadway is something I hope to see the Hayes Theatre Company hold on to, because they do it so well. They’ve taken a simple approach to a simple story and executed it in a vibrant, passionate way – given the talent here, it’s a winning formula. It’s not always about learning new tricks… like the title character herself, this old dog’s old tricks are keepers.
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Sweet Charity
Luckiest Productions & Neil Gooding Productions in association with Hayes Theatre Co
Directed by Dean Bryant
Choreography by Andrew Hallsworth
Musical Direction by Andrew Worboys
Cast: Verity Hunt-Ballard, Martin Crewes, Debora Krizak, Lisa Sontag, Kuki Topoki, Kirby Burgess, Rowena Vilar, Stephanie Grigg, Xander Ellis, Jakob Ambrose, Seann Matthew Moore, Francesa O’Donnell
Hayes Theatre Co, Potts Point
www.hayestheatre.com.au
7 February – 9 March
