Sydney

Hornsby Musical Society’s production of Sweet Charity succeeds because it understands the difficult balance at the heart of the musical. Beneath the colour, comedy, energetic choreography, and sharp stylisation sits a story about loneliness, resilience, and the exhausting act of continuing to hope. This production never loses sight of that emotional core.

At the centre of everything is Victoria Alfieris as Charity Hope Valentine, and it is her performance that anchors the entire production. Alfieris brings charm, vulnerability, spark, and sincerity to the role without ever reducing Charity to caricature or sentimentality. Her performance captures the essential contradiction of the character: a woman repeatedly bruised by disappointment who continues moving through life with irrepressible optimism. That emotional openness carried through her singing and dancing, creating a Charity who always felt emotionally alive and in motion.

Several musical numbers particularly showcased her strengths. “You Should See Yourself” was tender and sincere, while “If My Friends Could See Me Now” balanced comic exuberance with emotional honesty beneath the fantasy. “I’m A Brass Band” became one of the evening’s emotional high points, with Alfieris capturing Charity’s overwhelming rush of hope and possibility with infectious warmth.

James Denton’s Oscar Lindquist provided an effective counterpoint to Charity’s energy. Denton wisely leaned into Oscar’s physical awkwardness, using nervous movement, hesitant posture, and restrained reactions to make the character endearing rather than merely eccentric. This physicality gradually softened during the Ferris wheel scene, allowing genuine warmth and connection to emerge naturally between the two leads. Denton’s understated comic work during “I Love to Cry at Weddings” was particularly effective, with small physical reactions and visible discomfort generating both humour and sympathy.

Among the supporting cast, Max Waterson stood out as Vittorio Vidal. Rather than pushing the role into parody, Waterson gave Vittorio genuine charm and sweetness, especially during “Too Many Tomorrows,” which landed with surprising sincerity. Alfieris and Waterson also played beautifully off one another during the apartment sequence, balancing comedy, fantasy, and genuine warmth in a way that made Charity’s excitement feel completely believable.

The ensemble work throughout the production was consistently strong. “Big Spender,” “Rich Man’s Frug,” and “Rhythm of Life” each possessed distinct physical identities and strong collective energy. Director and choreographer Lauren Oxenham, who also choreographed Hornsby Musical Society’s Grease last year, again demonstrated a strong instinct for ensemble movement and theatrical rhythm. Where Grease required buoyant nostalgia, Sweet Charity demanded sharper stylisation and emotional edge, and Oxenham’s choreography rose confidently to that challenge.

The production’s visual design also deserves praise. The abstract, block-like set design, at times reminiscent of Rothko paintings, created flexible playing spaces that transformed smoothly into locations such as the elevator, closet, and Ferris wheel. Costumes brought generous colour to the production while still allowing larger numbers like “Rich Man’s Frug” and “Rhythm of Life” to develop distinct visual identities. Lighting was also used effectively to shape mood and transitions, though from some audience positions several lighting cues projected directly into sightlines and briefly became distracting.

Musically, the production maintained strong momentum throughout the evening, with the orchestra supporting the show’s shifting emotional rhythms without overwhelming the performers. Just as importantly, the production trusted the emotional honesty of the material. Rather than treating the ending as cynical, the final moments suggested something more hopeful: that despite repeated disappointments, Charity retains the capacity to keep moving forward.

That sense of resilience lingered after the curtain call. In the end, Hornsby Musical Society delivered a production of Sweet Charity that was not only entertaining and visually confident, but emotionally sincere, anchored by a warm and compelling central performance from Victoria Alfieris.

To book tickets to Sweet Charity, please visit https://www.pioneertheatre.com.au/whats-on/sweetcharity.

Photographer: Stefanie Roche Dobb

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