Theatre Review: Bloom

 The Production: Bloom

The Theatre: The Playhouse at the Arts Centre

The Company: The Melbourne Theatre Company

Stars: 4

Season extended until 26 August. 

They do musicals about all sorts of things now. Come From Away was a 9-11 story. Fun Home was about life in a Funeral Home. 

Bloom is about an old folk's home in an Australian city. 

And it's wonderful. 

The team from Working Dog have crafted this cracker of a show about the joys and pitfalls if living in a modern Australian old folk;s home. Penned by Tom Gleisner with music by Katie Weston, this musical is pitch perfect. It's funny. It's right on the mark and it thankfully doesn't fall into schmaltz. 

As for the story, we first meet up with Rose (Evelyn Krape) who's found herself at the Pine Grove Aged Care home for respite - despite of the fact she does not want to enter the place and have her independence taken away. 

At the same time, Finn (Slone Sudiro) answers an advertisment looking for somebody to live in the home rent free in lieu of some extra help around the home. Rose and Finn are met by Gloria (Christina O'Neil) and Ruby (Vidya Makan), the older nurse who's been there for years and the younger worker who's had her idealism shaken by the experience. They help the two new recruits to settle in among the other inmates - oops, residents. 

The residents are a bit of a motley crew. There's Dough (Frankie J Holden), who's had a stroke and is there after the death of his wife. There's Lesley (Jackie Rees) the calm artist, poised and secure. Roland (John O'May) is an aging thespian who seems set on annoying Doug. And there's Betty (Maria Mercedes) the kleptomaniac who's waiting patiently for her son to arrive while racing around on her mobility scooter. 

They are all under the thumb of Mrs MacIntyre (Anne Edmonds) the draconian manager of the home who is set on saving every penny she can. She is one of the highlights of the hour and 45 minutes of this show. 

And yes, you know what is going to happen in this show, but that is okay. The songs are wonderful. Funny, sweet, tragic, hopeful. The dialogue is on point, right down to the swear jar references. You get a very good idea about the people in the home were before old age got them. 

This comes highly recommended. 

It's a delight. 

Today's song: