Review: Kimberly Akimbo at Arts Centre Melbourne, Playhouse

Review by Liz Baldwin

Watching Kimberly Akimbo, a joint production of Melbourne Theatre Company and the State Theatre Company of South Australia, directed by Mitchell Butel, is a whimsical, almost fantastical experience. The cast, clad in costumes of clashing patterns, launch into playful songs against a backdrop of muted pastels. Yet beneath this playful veneer lies a moving exploration of mortality and the family inheritances, genetic and otherwise.

The musical, set in New Jersey in 1999, follows Kimberly Levaco, a teenager with a rare genetic condition that causes her to physically age four-to-five times faster than her chronological age. Her life expectancy is sixteen, making her sixteenth birthday, celebrated during the show, less sweet, more bittersweet. Kimberly navigates challenges both specific – premature ageing and mortality – and universal – fitting in at school, loving but flawed parents. 

The show won five Tony awards when it opened on Broadway in 2021, with music by Jeanine Tesori, and lyrics and book by David Lindsay-Abaire. Its unique premise provides a shortcut to heavy emotions. Kimberly’s truncated childhood is a simple but poignant allegory for her parents’ own lost youths, after teenage pregnancy forced the couple to grow up quickly. Christie Whelan-Browne, as Kimberly’s mother, and Nathan O’Keefe, as her father, movingly portray the pain of loving someone in the face of impending loss. But their performance is never schmaltzy: both are unafraid of showing the imperfect ways we handle such pain.

This nuance is a contrast to the character of Kimberly, who displays a near-perfect equanimity about her condition, and express only a desire to be with her family and friends and make the most out of her short life. Marina Prior is winning as Kimberly, imbuing her portrayal of a besmocked teenager on rollerblades with a sense of heavy, hard-won knowledge. But her mature, classically trained voice is slightly jarring, ostensibly coming out of the mouth of a New Jersey working class teen.

A strong supporting cast help bring lightness to the production. Darcy Wain’s Seth is particularly compelling as an awkward, nerdy, but emotionally grounded teenager, who develops a friendship with Kimberly. And the exploits of Kimberly’s aunt, played by Casey Donovan, and a quartet of teenage friends—Allycia Angeles, Alana Iannace, Jacob Rozario, and Marty Alix—provide much-needed levity and energy to the production. Among them, Alix is a particular standout, bringing a scene-stealing comic timing.

Technically, the production excels across multiple departments. The costume design is joyful – a riot of clashing patterns authentically evokes the late 1990s aesthetic. The band, led by musical director Kym Purling, delivers a tight performance that helps bring these energetic songs to life. And the production’s visual language helps establish its unique tone. The geometric set design, bathed in soft, dreamlike pastels, creates an otherworldly atmosphere that perfectly captures the surreal nature of Kimberly's condition.

Kimberly Akimbo is a unique theatrical experience that examines profound themes with levity and play.

Photo credit: Sam Roberts