Opening to a robust audience at Brisbane’s PIP Theatre, The Heartbreak Choir by the late playwright Aidan Fennessy explores the healing power of song while deeper tensions simmer beneath the surface of a country community.
Deftly directed by Sherryl Lea Secomb, The Heartbreak Choir invites us into the world of a small group of choristers who splinter from their established choir, incensed over a matter of principle. With a new name, a new space to rehearse and a public debut looming, the newly formed choir is determined to right the wrongs of the past. As the first act unfolds, snippets of dialogue and moments of interaction hint at an undercurrent of tension, gradually revealing the basis of this moral divide by Act One’s conclusion.
The play opens in a tired community hall on the outskirts of a rural Australian town. Hannah Page’s sound design is immediately immersive as a woman enters, flicks on a buzzing fluorescent light and coaxes the only radiant bar heater to life. The simple set features a kitchenette, worn metal fold-up chairs and a stock standard piano. It’s not too long before the eclectic mix of characters arrive for their first breakaway choir rehearsal under their leader Barbara (Catarina Hebbard).
Anchoring the choir group is Barbara, exuding a faded elegance and grounding warmth. She is level headed and guides the group with gentle authority.
Straight talking and bustling farmer Mack is brought to life by Gemma Galley. Her refreshing authenticity and ability to burst into a room and inject it with a bombastic energy sets you back in your chair. There’s a stark contrast between Mack and child Savannah (Micheal Enright), who selectively communicates non-verbally. Similarly affected by anxiety, this contrast highlights how differently people can express their inner turmoil.
Though often quiet, Savannah carries a presence impossible to ignore; sassy and stubborn, yet intensely observational. With angelic singing voice and signing, Enright’s portrayal compels you to lean in further to interpret their messages.
Diedre Grace portrays Totty—frighteningly organised, a delightfully brazen inability to read the room, and getting about in Hi-Viz gear for no obvious reason. Diedre’s unfiltered delivery of lines in tense situations never fails to pop the bubble of tension, bringing a fresh swell of energy to the scene.
Assini, the soulful, heavily pregnant Zimbabwean woman emits the necessary warmth to the group. Through her poignant stance and pragmatic reactions, Brightholly Nininahazwe is unafraid to quietly stand her ground in spaces of moral division.
Nervously gatecrashing this new tight knit bubble of choristers is senior police offer Peter (played by Bradley McCaw), burdened with both the weight of his past and reservations about what his future holds. There’s a humble vulnerability McCaw brings to the role, which ultimately acts as a catalyst for the choir to deal with their past.
Benjamin Cole, as son of Peter, perfectly aids McCaw in displaying the contrast between the different impacts of grief on a person. Both racked with shock from recent events; they convey the significance that trauma holds in shaping who you are and how you act.
Although Beau’s transformation is slow, his character arc feels rewarding to watch unfold. And with few lines, Cole successfully utilised body language and unspoken interpersonal dynamics to illustrate his unacknowledged emotional story.
The plays’ darker themes are balanced remarkably well with humour and quirky characters, testament to the strong ensemble cast. It’s difficult to pick a clear standout performer—each brings such heart and believability to their role that the play wouldn’t feel complete without any of them.
While the underlying message of this production is quite a serious one, most of the show is surprisingly funny, with plenty of classic Aussie slang, humorous ramblings, and raw character interactions sparking moments of laughter around the room.
With the finale song Our Little Town, composed and arranged by Bradley McCaw, and in collaboration with local choir Ignite, led by Harmony Woollet, the production provides a joyous tribute to the power of connection through community.
PIP Theatre’s The Heartbreak Choir is performing till the 19th September. For tickets please visit: 2026 | The Heartbreak Choir | PIP Theatre
To book tickets to The Heartbreak Choir, please visit https://piptheatre.org/heartbreak-choir/.
