Sweet Charity

Sweet Charity is the public’s final glimpse of this year’s WAAPA Musical Theatre Graduates, in a full production, and this tight, well performed production is a testament to the talent of this group, as well as to the skills of the Production and Design Students, who contribute greatly to the look and feel of this production.

Caitlin New shines in the title role, with an impressive portrayal of this rough diamond of a character. The women in this production are particularly strong, with lovely fleshed out portrayals, especially by Grace Collins and Annabelle Rosewarne as best friends Helene and Nikki and fellow taxi dancers Ciara Taylor (Carmen), Tahra Cannon (Rosie), Isabelle Davis (Suzanne), Rose Shannon-Duhigg (Betsy), Madeleine Jolly Fuentes  (Elaine) and honorary female Axel Duffy (Frenchie). Manager Herman is played with sleazy sensitivity by Jack Shatford.

Leading man come anti-hero, Oscar Lindquist, is very nicely inhabited by Luke Wilson, winning the hearrts of Charity and the audience, only to break them completely.

Conor Neylon brings charm and sex-appeal to the role of matinee idol Vittorio Vidal, with Victoria Graves in a notable character performance as his emotional lover Ursula. Jackson Peele is a dynamic Daddy, in a show-stopping rendition of the “Rhythm of Life”.

Choreography, by Michael Ralph, is integral to this production, with amazingly styled and choreographed crowd scenes and huge production numbers, perhaps most memorably The Frug, featuring Sara Reed.The ensemble, are all kept busy throughout, with all performers making the most of their cameo roles, including Alexander Landsberry (Charlie), Ethan Jones and Harrison Targett (the Cops), Jed MvKinney (Marvin) and Benjamin Barker (the Panhandler).

Musical Director Craig Dalton conducts a large orchestra of students, staff and visiting artists, visible on stage at various times throughout the show.

Once again Production and Design students demonstrate exemplary skills. Riley Tapp’s set creates the era beautifully, with the creation of the elevator and parachute drop scenes particularly clever - with these scenes also showcasing some of the most notable aspects of Matthew Erran’s Lighting Design. Danielle Chilton’s costumes were a wonderful refection of character and the time, with strong sound design by Kellan Starkie and smooth Stage Management led by Zoe Martino.

A fitting farewell for this fabulous cohort and as excellent as Sweet Charity is, I hope that “there is something (even) better than this” in every one of these performer and creatives' futures.

Kimberley Shaw

Photographer: Jon Gren