The University of Melbourne
Browse

Set and Costume Design for The Heartbreak Choir

figure
posted on 2025-03-27, 22:15 authored by CHRISTINA SMITHCHRISTINA SMITH
The Heartbreak Choir is a new play by renowned late Australian playwright Aiden Fennessy, commissioned as part of the Melbourne Theatre Company’s NEXT STAGE program. An ensemble piece exploring the power of community as an antidote to grief, it was directed and designed by the same team responsible for the company’s 2018 Green Room nominated production of The Architect by the same author. The design built upon the previous responses from the collaborative team to the author’s work, though in this instance creating a more naturalistic and realised environment that evoked a sense of recognition and nostalgia with the audience through a meticulously articulated Country Fire Authority Hall that embodied the themes of community and history. A theatrical transformation at the conclusion of the play inflates the modest stage featured within the set design, bringing the performance space closer and unifying the auditorium and audience with both the performers and community choir revealed during this finale moment.

History

Add to Elements

  • Yes

NTRO Output Type

  • Original Creative Work

NTRO Output Category

  • Original Creative Work : Design / architectural Work

Place

Melbourne, Australia

Venue

Sumner Theatre, Southbank Theatre

NTRO Publisher

Melbourne Theatre Company

Medium

Design for Live Performance

Research Statement

The Heartbreak Choir is a new play by renowned late Australian playwright Aiden Fennessy, commissioned as part of the Melbourne Theatre Company’s NEXT STAGE program. An ensemble piece exploring the power of community as an antidote to grief, it was directed and designed by the same team responsible for the company’s 2018 Green Room nominated production of The Architect by the same author. The design built upon the previous responses from the collaborative team to the author’s work, though in this instance creating a more naturalistic and realised environment that evoked a sense of recognition and nostalgia with the audience through a meticulously articulated Country Fire Authority Hall that embodied the themes of community and history. A theatrical transformation at the conclusion of the play inflates the modest stage featured within the set design, bringing the performance space closer and unifying the auditorium and audience with both the performers and community choir revealed during this finale moment. The excellence of this work is evidenced by: • The producing company, Melbourne Theatre Company, is the state theatre company of Victoria and a member of the Australian Major Performing Arts Group, receiving both federal and state arts funding. • The production received a broad range of critical reviews from major national publications, notably from the Australian newspaper by Chris Boyd, Limelight magazine by Patricia Maunder, ArtsHub by Thuy On and Time Out by Guy Webster. • The live performance was recorded and is offered as a streamed Digital Theatre production by the Melbourne Theatre Company. The film also had a limited cinema release at Cinema Nova in Carlton from November 26 2022. • The set design was nominated for a Green Room ‘Outstanding Set Design’ award, as well as nominations for best production, writing, directing, ensemble, performance and sound design • This design was documented extensively by the producing company Melbourne Theatre Company for their education hub.

Size or Duration of Work

2 hrs, 44 performances

Affiliation

Christina Smith, University of Melbourne

Usage metrics

    Non-Traditional Research Outputs (NTROs)

    Licence

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC