Feel-good but forgettable.
In the midst of a federal election, global financial turmoil, and increasing pressures from climate change and cost of living, Bloom should be an escape. As a comedy about a group of aged care residents rising up against their authoritarian owner, with plenty of fun song and dance numbers, this is exceedingly obvious. Yet, though the show has some warm and fuzzy moments, it comes across as tired and bland.
Bloom‘s plot has great potential. Finn (Slone Sudiro) and Rose (Evelyn Krape) are the newest residents of Pine Grove Aged Care Centre. Despite Finn being university aged and in a work-for-board arrangement and Rose an ex-school teacher in her golden years, both quickly form a bond with each other and their new acquaintances. Pine Grove’s staff and residents share a common hatred for Mrs MacIntyre (Christie Whelan Browne), whose frugality ranges from cancelling park excursions to replacing hot dinners with tinned soup. The residents’ lust for life leads to a defiance of Mrs MacIntyre’s ways, the blossoming of new romances, and plenty of humour.
The show’s lyrics and book are written by Tom Gleisner of Have You Been Paying Attention? and The Castle fame, with music by Katie Weston. Despite Gleisner’s writing being easy to follow and containing much of the humour he is known for, the story and songs could be more than what they are. The story is predictable, drags, and features unnecessary repetition of the same jokes. A romantic subplot between Finn and aged care worker Ruby (Vidya Makan) feels forced. The songs are pleasant but somewhat simple, not offering much beyond light entertainment value.
Krape is consistently good as Rose. She is sassy, snarky, lands her punchlines well and has great chemistry with Sudiro. Sudiro is likeable as Finn, with a warm stage presence and some nice solo numbers early on. However, he lacks chemistry with Makan – a shortcoming that Makan, whose performance is otherwise strong and musical numbers well executed, cannot fix either. The supporting cast are a wonderful ensemble but are limited by their characters’ respective tropes. This is particularly the case for Christina O’Neill, whose performance as aged care worker Gloria could have been more memorable if the writing made her gentle, soft-spoken character more dynamic. Except for Eddie Muliaumaseali’i, who plays four roles and uses his booming voice to great effect, the cast has more to offer than what the script grants them.
Whelan Browne fortunately bucks this trend. Her Mrs MacIntyre is gifted with silly songs, ridiculous over-the-top dance numbers, and the funniest dialogue. She capitalises on these in a performance that is equally silly, ridiculous and funny. Despite the residents of Pine Grove hating her, it’s hard for audiences to feel the same way.
Direction from Dean Bryant is lacking. Though the show’s technical elements are slick, with the live music well orchestrated by Zara Stanton and a particularly notable set by Dann Barber, Bloom lacks the polish of other musicals running at the moment. It tries to disguise this with a natural and calm on stage vibe, but such a vibe makes the show feel under-developed. There is no great intensity or energy to what is occurring, and so there feels like little reason to engage strongly with it. It is easier to simply let the performance run its course and get on with your night.
Ultimately, Bloom lacks punch. There are some nice moments, but it feels like it could have been so much more. This is a real and unfortunate shame.
