REVIEW: Sweet Charity

Charity Hope Valentine’s unbreakable optimism has officially enthralled audiences for over 60 years, a milestone which sees her swinging back onto the stage for Heirlume Productions’ reimagining of Sweet Charity.

Standing the test of time is Cy Coleman’s unmistakable music, bolstered by Dorothy Fields’ lyrics. This incredible score formed the foundation for the success of Bob Fosse’s original staging; songs so synonymous with Fosse’s choreography they became dance styles in their own right (“Rich Man’s Frug”). 

Photo credit: Cale Dennis

Choreographer Jesse Matthews fearlessly tackles this mantlepiece Fosse show, allowing for contemporary originality while honouring the source material. Matthews’ choreography is championed by an ensemble of commanding performers, dance highlights including Tyler-Rose Shattock as Frug Girl, and “There’s Gotta Be Something Better Than This”, featuring Charity (Erica Wild) and her friends/dance hall mentors Nickie and Helene (Madeline Pratt and Hannah Gutierrez Cañon). 

This production’s condensed cast of 10 actors had no trouble filling the space with energy and personality. The only moment in the show I felt was missing a larger ensemble impact was during “I’m A Brass Band”, but otherwise I found the split tracks worked fairly seamlessly. 

At the helm of Sweet Charity was of course, Charity herself. Erica Wild’s turn as our enigmatically upbeat heroine was as natural as breathing. I’m thrilled the fickle finger of fate brought them to this role for us all to witness. 

Proving his versatility opposite Wild was the remarkable Clancy Enchelmaier as Charlie/Vittorio/Oscar. From their suave operatic chops to the erratic insecurities which overcome Oscar, Enchelmaier’s presence was one of security, commitment and quick wit. 

Ever the adaptable space, Chapel Off Chapel plays host to the industrial scaffolding of this production’s New York City. Ruben Laine’s set allowed for multi levelled perspectives as we navigated the highs and lows of Charity’s life both in and out of the Fandango Ballroom. Madison Lee’s direction allowed for play within the abstract and more literal elements of the set. Unfortunately we were sometimes pulled from the world by lighting states which had our lead players conversing in relative darkness. There were also notable Opening Night tech jitters with mics and sound, which will hopefully clear as the season progresses. 

I’m a big fan of Heirlume Productions’ ethos; the idea of “look[ing] to the past to see what we can learn” from forgotten shows, establishing a platform for contemporary takes on classic pieces. In this instance, I’m not sure this production was able to deliver on its promises of a bold queer retelling. The limitations of working within the script as written seemingly meant any and all queer implication had to be made visually/wordlessly. Some elements of the reimagining landed, such as Pratt and Gutierrez Cañon’s unspoken realisations in “Baby, Dream Your Dream”, and Sarahlouise Younger’s Mama Morton-esque portrayal of Herman/Daddy. However, where this production fell short of my hopes was in the way these queer elements rarely touched the central narrative or protagonist. Pride that can only exist behind closed doors (including in kind of a cult) while Charity was off chasing mediocre men wasn’t what I anticipated, and I felt that there was more that wanted to be said. 

Photo credit: Cale Dennis

I’m also really interested in this production’s unique, darker ending, and its effect on Charity’s “tale of self-acceptance”. I found the choices quite powerful, changing the tone of the show dramatically. This was the kind of bold swing that made our audience reconsider this piece and its relevance, threatening the comical optimism that keeps this show from being a tragedy. 

I look forward to future productions from Heirlume, and the way their shows provoke conversations about pieces of theatre history.

4 out of 5 Stars