Are You Lonesome Tonight

SPARC Theatre was created to allow people living in supported accommodation in the City of Port Phillip an artistic outlet. People living in supported accommodation are unable to support themselves, often due to mental illness, and so are among the most marginalised in the community.

I wasn’t sure what to expect and afterwards I wasn’t sure what I’d seen, but there was certainly a lot of love in the room, and a standing ovation for the performers.

Based on a mutual love of Elvis, the program featured a lot of music by the King. Rather than having a storyline, the music was interspersed with interviews with the participants. The questions asked were relating to “love” and “being lonesome”. These interviews were both touching and sad because of the degree of pain the participants had experienced.  This was well balanced with humour.

The musicians were good and there was a vibrant MC to keep the program moving. Apart from the interviews, some performers showed quite a degree of talent. One was a gifted piano accordionist, another had written a song which showed promise, and another had written a poem, which was very funny.

The costumes were colourful, the set amazing, the sound well balanced and the music tight. For the participants, this was an evening they will remember forever.

Graham Ford