Highway of Lost Hearts

A woman trying to heal the empty wound where her heart once sat, travels thousands of kilometres through the harsh Australian outback. In true ‘road movie’ fashion, her physical journey also comes with a journey of self-discovery and healing. She encounters a variety of familiar Australian characters as she drives across the country with her trusty dog.

Highway of Lost Hearts is presented by Minola Theatre as part of the 2019 Anywhere Theatre Festival, which always serves up unique, imaginative and versatile theatre locations. The writing by Mary Anne Butler is poetic in its metaphors, relatable in characterisation and heart-warming in its dénouement. The spirit of Australia is vividly captured in the story.

Director Kat Dekker is making creative and effective use of an outdoor amphitheatre space. The audience is encouraged to bring a picnic rug or camping chair for this show, alongside rugging up to ward off the frosty autumnal air. It’s wonderful to enjoy some theatre under the stars. An added challenge for this production - it’s also right under a major flight path. None the less, the one woman cast member, Bianca Butler Reynolds doesn’t let the aeroplanes interrupt her flow or focus for a second.

Her acting is believable throughout and her ability to memorise such a lengthy text is impressive. Bianca shows great physical skill and technique. She manages to project her voice very well above the sounds of jet engines without losing any emotional impact. Her impressions of the characters along the journey are vivid portraits of familiar Australians and her interpretation of the dog character is a delight.

The simplicity of the suitcase as the one prop is a lovely idea and extremely versatile. The many levels of the amphitheatre are well used, most notably in the ascension scene.

Sound design by Calvin Barker is unobtrusive and supportive of the narrative. Calvin’s lighting design makes resourceful use of a limited selection of states; doing especially well at capturing the searing heat of the outback.

The strength of this show is the cast and crew’s dedication to the narrative. The storytelling is captivating, with an unmistakable Australian flavour, making Highway of Lost Hearts a lovely way to spend an evening under the Southern Cross.

Kiesten McCauley 

READ THE FIRST PAGES AND BUY THE PLAY HERE AT STAGE WHISPERS BOOKS.