After a tragic event fractures the makeup of the local choir in small town Australia, the remaining cast of characters choose to rebrand themselves, and in the process heal.

Aidan Fennessy’s script is layered with humour and underlying tragedies that can seem incongruous to the lighthearted nature this production strives for, often causing whiplash as you laugh, then gasp, then laugh once more. It leaves you questioning how exactly you’re meant to feel in the face of such heavy subject matter.

At the heart of The Heartbreak Choir however lies a possible answer: music. As the old adage from Plato goes, “music is the medicine of the soul”. And therein lies the appeal that is ripe for an Ensemble Theatre audience.

Jay Laga’aia and Nancy Denis in The Heartbreak Choir. Photo © Prudence Upton

Nick Fry’s set and costume design for Ensemble’s final show of 2024 is meticulous. It takes you a second to register you’re in a theatre and not a country town community hall. From the small wall heater with a mind of its own, the community theatre notice board, the dusty piano and the metal benched back kitchen, we’re...