The Sunshine Club

The Sunshine Club is essential viewing – foremost for the joyous musical talent of its cast, but also for its story of local history and optimistic message of community strength in diversity. The story centres around the Doyle and Morris families in post-war Brisbane. As Rose Morris takes up a singing gig at the glamorous Cloudland Ballroom, her neighbourhood friend, Frank Doyle, has returned from active war service just in time to see her perform. Rose’s father, the local priest, gets Frank on the guest list, but the doorman judges that Frank’s skin is the wrong colour for the ritzy establishment north of the Brisbane River. Taking matters into his own hands, Frank sets up a Saturday night dance at the local church hall where everyone can dance together.

As it has been more than two decades since Queensland Theatre commissioned this work by writer/director Wesley Enoch and his musical collaborator, John Rodgers, this revival is long overdue as a showcase of the fabulous local talent we have in Brisbane – but, better late than never. For a start, we can enjoy two terrific lead couples, with a supporting cast to die for. There is the swoon-worthy pairing of Marcus Corowa and Irena Lysiuk as Frank and Rose. Both have extensive experience with Opera Queensland, and possess soulful voices – so, this coupling is too good to miss. They work beautifully together to impart their love story (as Romeo and Juliet do) in a very short stage time (aided and abetted by some romantic lighting cues from lighting designer Ben Hughes). The only fault is that the show does not have more opportunities for this pair of superstars to duet. Irena’s ‘Let it Rain’ was simply wonderful. And Marcus’s solos take him from swing tunes to sombre opera, showing the versatility of his range.

As the other key couple, Frank’s ambitious sister and her lover, we have a superb pairing of Naarah as Pearl and Trent Owers as Peter. Naarah has a fabulous voice and oozes sex appeal for her jazz club numbers. Trent has a scene-stealing number with ‘Sellin’ Man’ about his tactics in selling dance lessons door to door. But they also manage the dramatic scenes as their characters face reality later in the story.

At the National Play Festival in 2018, Wesley Enoch spoke about his thoughts on storytelling. He said : “Deliver your ideas too seriously and your message will be washed away.” The Sunshine Club’s supporting cast help to deliver the perfect balance. As the rival for Pearl’s affections, Beau Dean Riley Smith adds the right dash of humour and energy as Dave Daylight.

Multi-talented Queensland Theatre all-rounders Roxanne McDonald and Andrew Buchanan take on the roles of Aunty Faith and her employer Reverend Percy Morris. Fortunately for us, Roxanne is reprising the role she created in 1999, and she has some fabulously funny scenes. Andrew’s priest is a rock solid community stalwart, but the scenes showing his ambition for his daughter are rich and warm. Together these ‘character’ actors provide a very stable foundation for the serious side of the story.

Did I mention they can also sing and dance? I also enjoyed the very slight hints of their off-stage relationship, and as they run away from the dance to rescue the washing line from an impending storm, “Reverend, I hear those y-fronts calling!” must surely be one of the most unexpected lines in a musical ever. I really enjoyed all the rhymes to Wooloongabba and Tarragindi in ‘Dancin’ up a Storm’. And, if it’s a pleasure to me to experience a story set in my home town, I can only imagine the satisfaction that our First Nations storytellers experience in finally imparting some of their recent history.

You can’t have a good musical without a great band and brilliant dance moves. Under the musical direction of Wayne Freer, and choreography by Yolande Brown the ensemble cast – Zoe Walters, Jazleen Latrise, Colin Smith, Kate Yaxley, and Garret Lyon – do the Jive and Lindy Hop, transporting us to post-war Brisbane, along with a muted-tone set design by Jacob Nash and authentic costume designs by Richard Roberts. The rockin’ band are on stage for all the live dance numbers, and they are terrific: Stephen Newcomb (keys), Katie Randall (drums), Michael Whitaker (trumpet, piano accordion) and Mika Atkinson (saxophone) – with essential sound design and sound system design by Derek Wilson.

The cast perform the vibrantly upbeat title song, but also the poignant ‘If Not Now, Then When?’ which had me in tears. (That’s one added advantage of the mask mandate!) The play’s ending may be a little abrupt – but its point hit home for me as I left the theatre and dawdled near the Brisbane River. Young couples had just started meeting up for their Saturday night dates and it made me think of Frank and Rose and the injustices of their time all over again.

Find out more: https://www.qpac.com.au/event/qt_sunshine_club_22/

Beth Keehn

Photographer: Brett Boardman