Review: Carol at the Heath Ledger Theatre

Review by Tatum Stafford

If you’re looking for an Aussie Christmas story filled with heart, humour, and compassion in spades, look no further than Andrea Gibbs’ latest play Carol, currently being presented by Black Swan Theatre Company with Christmas decorations and songs aplenty. 

60-year-old Carol is having a much less jollier Christmas (and birthday) than usual when we meet her. She is grieving the loss of her husband, facing a somewhat slow burn of separation from her now adult children, and she is dealt some mighty tough realities that soon see her living in a van which she optimistically decks out in Christmas lights. 

The show is framed by a reliable and charismatic Santa narrator, and throughout the 90-minute performance we see Carol navigate through some very tough interpersonal times as she clings to the magic of the festive season that she knows and loves, providing a truly inspirational outlook on life.

This production features an absolutely stellar cast, and at the centrepiece of the Christmas table is Sally-Anne Upton’s beautiful portrayal of Carol herself. Sally-Anne is magnetic, and is given the opportunity to showcase a wide breadth of talent in this role - her monologue to camera during a job interview is a particular highlight. 

She is supported by a very strong cast including Mark Storen as a larger than life Aussie Santa (I won’t spoil his first entrance but it drew plenty of delighted applause from its opening night audience), and the trio of Isaac Diamond, Ruby Henaway and Bruce Denny in a variety of roles including Carol’s children, participants in group grief counselling, and other people Carol finds herself interacting with on her travels. 

Jackson Harper Griggs provided musical direction and composition of several original Christmassy songs throughout the show, which perfectly punctuated the action and kept the audience in the festive spirit. He was often supported by actor Isaac Diamond on the drums or backing vocals which made for some particularly funny quick change moments. 

Pace was an occasional issue throughout the show, and some moments seemed quite drawn out - particularly in Santa monologues or songs. As the audience’s conduit into Carol’s life and circumstances, he had a clear role in the story, but with such a captivating lead performance by Sally-Anne, I often felt like I wanted narration and context to cease so we could spend more time in her head and in her shoes. 

There was a stunning moment of projection, where Carol is reminiscing on a dance around the Christmas tree and we see it on the back of the gorgeous set (Bruce McKinven has outdone himself). This was one of my favourite moments of the show as it captured a real moment in time, and I do wish this style of projected memory was utilised more than once during the show. 

Overall, this is a really joyful and beautiful night at the theatre, and highlights a real societal issue of homelessness with tact and dignity. 

Image Credit: Daniel J Grant