In recent times, Sydney Theatre Company has increasingly taken forays into the realm of musical theatre, with an extremely successful production of Dear Evan Hansen delighting audiences last year. This year, musical theatre returns to the Roslyn Packer Theatre with Bloom, a new musical that deals with a group of care residents who have to confront the reality of aging. 

Written by comedian Tom Gleisner in his first foray into musical theatre, it is no surprise that the biggest strength of this production is its humour. With a story centred around the plight of a number of aged care residents who have essentially been deprived of their liberties by a megalomaniacal CEO, Mrs MacIntyre (Christie Whelan Brown), the production needs humour to counterbalance the otherwise melancholy subject matter and Gleisner manages this extremely well. The humour is generally subtle and/or situational but it is highly effective, with the audience laughing vociferously at various points in the musical, especially when the humour is at its most relatable. 

The story also feels highly poignant, speaking to a fear of solitude and aging among many both on stage and within the audience. The actors in the care facility all do a fantastic job of conveying the multitude of experiences and emotions of those within the home, with Maria Mercedes’ portrayal of Betty, who longs for her son, as well as Eddie Muliaumaseali’I’s transformation as Sal, being particularly heart-wrenching. Whelan Browne is also sublime in her role, making the audience despise her and her representation of the corporatisation of the aged care sector. Dann Barber’s set is appropriately clinical to further reinforce this. 

But the majority of the scenes are held together by Rose (Evelyn Krape) and Finn (Slone Sudiro), who form a bond over their mutual love of piano and for the beauty of life. It is a touching relationship that defies age and is very much a testament to the human spirit, which works extremely well in the production. Both actors convey the depth of their roles very well, even if the singing falters at times. Vidya Makan and Christina O’Neill also do a fantastic job as aged care workers Ruby and Gloria, with Makan’s incredible vocals being a particular highlight of the show. 

For all the show’s positive attributes, unfortunately, the music does not quite stand up to the test. With composer Katie Weston opting for a pop-based score, none of the songs have the bite needed to sustain the drama and tension of the script and feel somewhat forced and out of place. Additionally, many of the numbers have elements that feel heavily influenced by modern day musicals such as Kinky Boots (especially at the start of the production), but lack the substance in their own right to properly complement the production. While the actors and the script do a lot of the heavy lifting, there is no doubt that this creates somewhat of a void in the production, especially given the focality of the music. 

Ultimately, I think some of the responses to this musical have been slightly harsh, given that the script feels quite poignant, and the humour is well-considered and well executed. However, the music does let down the rest of the production to some degree, with songs that just don’t quite fit with the storyline. The rest of the production is rock solid, and the cast is fantastic so if the music can be reworked, this could be something special. It is a story that will resonate with many and touches on the fragilities of human life in a unique way. I hope to see an iteration of this production on stage again sometime in the near future. 

Rating: ★★★★

Bloom plays at the Roslyn Packer Theatre until 11^th May. For more information, click here.

All photo credits: Daniel Boud