“No Love Songs” was my first visit to the newly opened Foundry Theatre located inside The Star Casino’s glamorous building. The quaint size and layout of the theatre creates an immersive and intimate experience for the audience and I look forward to spectating many more shows in this fabulous new venue. The acoustics and viewing would be fantastic from any seat in the theatre which makes it, in my opinion, a very inviting theatre.
The “No Love Songs” musical is based on the book written by Laura Wilde and Johnny McKnight which was inspired by real-life experiences of Kyle Falconer and his partner Laura Wilde. The featured songs are written by the musician Kyle Falconer.
The musical stars the incredible Keegan Joyce and Lucy Maunder and is co-directed by Andrew Panton and Tashi Gore. Music direction is expertly provided by Mark Chamberlain.
“No Love Songs” is a harmonious Yin and Yang balance of grief and joy, sublimely written to strike the audience with the juxtaposition of tears and laughter. The script is superbly written with natural flowing dialogue and a generous sprinkle of witty comedic gags, all of which were delivered impeccably by the stars Lucy Maunder and Keegan Joyce.
The script delves deeply into themes of depression, loneliness and relationships. It highlights the importance of bringing light to the hardships of parenting and in particular post natal depression. Shedding light on these ‘once unspoken’ topics, yet still not spoken enough about, is vital for urging more conversations, actions and reassurance.
The writer has truly achieved a very natural realistic depiction of struggling young parents in their personal relationship together and with their child. I’m certain most can relate to the struggles couples face: keeping in combined rhythm, picking up the missed beats for each other and being cautious not to drop the drumsticks altogether into a fathomless pit of no return.
It was a stellar performance by Lucy Maunder and Keegan Joyce, two immensely talented industry professionals. The acting diversity of both is applaudable and easy to understand their great successes to date and undoubtedly in the future. They delivered unfaltering honest character portrayals coupled with brilliant vocals and musicianship. Neither could be faulted in their brilliant hard hitting performance. Their casting was a commendable choice and they admirably portrayed a convincing real-life couple.
Staging, costumes and props were minimal which felt authentic to the script. Unnecessary props and elaborate staging would have likely depreciated the poignant impactful themes. The music may not leave you singing as you leave the theatre or asking Google to play the soundtrack but I don’t feel like that was the intention. The obvious intentions of the “No Love Songs” musical is to be conversation striking, thought provoking and impactful and these intentions are mastered to perfection.
No Love Songs is on tour around the country. For date/time sessions for your local area and to book tickets to No Love Songs, please visit https://www.nolovesongs.com.au/.
