★★★½
As we stand centre stage in the theatre of life, facing its fickle finger of fate – could hope be our boldest, most courageous performance, and love the seductive encore we keep returning to, no matter how turbulent the reviews?
Sweet Charity brilliantly shimmies into Melbourne’s Chapel Off Chapel with this proverbial dilemma at its core. Heirlume Productions and Forest Collective skilfully revive Bob Fosse’s iconic classic with renewed buoyancy, with Artistic Directors Manda-Rozen-Flannery (she/her) and Evan J Lawson (he/him) at the helm.
Erica Wild (they/she) leads the cast as Charity Hope Valentine. Wild’s version of Charity is a force of nature: vivacious, candid, and heartbreakingly earnest – with a resonant, authoritative voice to match.
In the face of countless misadventures and repeated disappointments, Charity remains unwavering in her resolve to fall in love. She sings and dances her way through the shadowy confines of Fandango Ballroom with wide-eyed wonder alongside longtime pals, headstrong Nickie (Madeline Pratt), sultry Helene (Hannah Gutierrez Canon), and the ballroom’s dance troupe.
Pratt (she/they) and Gutierrez Canon (she/her) form a magnetic dynamic duo. Their take on Nickie and Helene’s friendship carries a subtle queer undertone. A soft glance here, lingering touch there, it suggests a deeper truth they both yearn can’t yet speak aloud. This is most evident through their tender rendition of Baby, Dream Your Dream.
Triple-threat Clancy Enchelmaier (he/they) is a gifted chameleon on stage, seamlessly transforming between deceitful Charlie, charismatic Vittorio and bashful Oscar with well-timed perfection.
Enchelmaier fully embraces every opportunity to showcase his broad spectrum of talents, assertively belting Vittorio’s operatic baritone in Too Many Tomorrows or playing up Oscar’s awkward comedic timing in Sweet Charity. His unbridled joy on stage is incredibly infectious, and the easy chemistry he shares with Wild makes I’m The Bravest Individual utterly hilarious.
The commanding, enigmatic ensemble cast comes to life during Big Spender, a smouldering number and a definite highlight in Act 1. They perform Jesse Matthews’ choreography with full conviction, weaving through the industrial textures and spectral lighting of Ruben Laine’s set design, clad in Zachary Dixon’s compelling costumes.
Musically, the show is an absolute delight. Led by co-Musical Directors Evan J Lawson (he/him) and Max Kielly (he/him), the talented orchestra brings to life Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields’ much-loved score as a harmonious unit, most evident during high-intensity numbers like Rich Man’s Frug and I Love to Cry at Weddings.
Director Madison Lee (she/they) delicately reframes Sweet Charity’s timeless sparkle against a backdrop of fear, repression, and early rumblings of chaos, suspended between the Lavender Scare and the Stonewall Riots.
Reimagining The Rhythm of Love as a reference point for queer resistance was a particularly inspired choice, along with playfully gender-swapping key characters, like ballroom boss Herman, throughout the story.
This contemporary Sweet Charity exists in a propitious universe that’s gritty, but never cruel. Chapel Off Chapel’s intimate space brings the story in close, letting the audience sit almost inside the dimly lit walls of the Fandango Ballroom as the evening unfolds.
Ever the eternal optimist, Charity’s enduring innocence can be seen as a form of quiet defiance, always choosing love and compassion in a tumultuous world still learning how to accept people for who they are.
That steadfast resilience becomes the show’s quiet, beating truth, as Charity’s story culminates in an unfortunate conclusion – one in which she decides to pick herself up, and becomes her own saviour.
Sweet Charity is a jubilant showing with a radiant cast, overflowing with optimism. What a marvellous way to celebrate Pride Month!
Sweet Charity is presented by Heirlume Productions and Forest Collective and runs to 28 June 2026 at Chapel Off Chapel, 12 Little Chapel Street Prahran Vic 3181.
Tickets: https://chapeloffchapel.com.au/show/sweet-charity/
Website: https://www.heirlumeproductions.com/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/heirlume.productions/ and https://www.instagram.com/forestcollective/
Images supplied.
