Venue: Foundry Theatre (Pyrmont NSW), Mar 7 – Apr 13, 2025
Book: Laura Wilde, Johnny McKnight
Songs: Kyle Falconer
Director: Andrew Panton, Tashi Gore
Cast: Keegan Joyce, Lucy Maunder
Images by Brett Boardman
Theatre review
It appears to be the most ordinary of romances when Lana and Jessie meet, but things take a dark turn after the birth of their baby. Post-natal depression may give No Love Songs much needed gravity, but there is no denying the dreariness it adds to an already lacklustre experience. Based on a true story from creators Kyle Falconer and Laura Wilde, No Love Songs is replete with honesty, always guided by integrity in its very personal revelations. The musical however, requires more than sincerity to deliver entertainment.
Directed by Andrew Panton and Tashi Gore, the production is certainly well rehearsed, with an evident polish that conveys a sense of confidence. Visual elements are kept simple, with lights by Grant Anderson commendable for introducing a quotient of drama. Work by Mark Chamberlain on music direction and accompaniment is a delight, even if energy of the piece never ceases to gradually and persistently falter.
The combination of performers Keegan Joyce and Lucy Maunder may lack chemistry, but each demonstrates themselves to be individually accomplished. There is great detail in their efforts at bringing Lana and Jessie to life, both with remarkable conviction for their parts, along with strong vocals that prove their mettle.
Theatre can be as earnest as any story needs for it to be, but it is a space where imaginativeness should be able to run wild. No Love Songs is perhaps too plain in its expressions of an intense human moment. It is wonderful to attain a state of empathy through art, for it offers an avenue of communication that is unpredictable, when the normal ways fail to move.
Suzy Goes See 