18 Eden Avenue – A Musical

Number 18 Eden Avenue is a big, old, historic house. It’s the family home of Sophie who’s a dance teacher, her daughter Poppy who’s nearly 16, and Sophie’s mother Honoria, who’s a little bit eccentric … and confused. There’s a boarder who works at the local post office and raises plants in a greenhouse at the bottom of the garden in his pare time. And a cat that inhabits the ballroom.

There is also a teenager called Simon, who lives next door … and a newly arrived boarder called Gilford, an aspiring actor from the country.

Roger Gimblett and New Zealand composer Sally Bodkin-Allen combined their skills again to create this gentle little musical that they began to write in 1994 – and “found again” during the Covid lockdowns. The finished work debuted in Invercargill in New Zealand in 2022. This production, directed by Gimblett himself, is its Australian debut.

18 Eden Avenue is not your usual musical! There’s no high-stepping, three-part harmony chorus/ensemble. There are no Disney-type animal characters or mermaids or flying cars. It’s just what the advertising suggests: “a contemporary story about family, love and the surprises that live behind closed doors.”

“Honoria, Sophie and Poppy”, as their first song explains are “Three Strong Women”.

Honoria, played by Jenny Jacobs, has had an interesting past. It’s nice to see a musical that includes an older, wise, female character and Jacobs brings her own wisdom and experience to the Honoraria she plays. She makes her more aware than she pretends to be, a little bit crafty, and aware of the perplexities of aging especially when she sings “When I Dream … I remember the things don’t recall”.

That song is special. There is much in it that will reach those in the audience who identify with Honoraria … or those who care for loved ones like her … or those like Gimblett and Bodkin-Allen who are understanding and aware.

Isabella Rodrigues is Sophie, a single mother looking after her family, boarders, and a run- down house that needs repair. Rodrigues has a good stage presence and a nice sense of comic timing, both of which she uses effectively to find the considered balance in this character. The Sophie she creates is strong, independent, thoughtful, covering any moments of regret or resentment with inner strength and quick wit.

Poppy, played by Sophie Laurantus, is more aware than most teenagers and Laurantus makes her thoughtful, understanding, and uncannily wise. Her Poppy is observant – and Laurantus uses stillness and watchfulness effectively to show the intelligence and unusual depth of this young woman.

Greg Thornton plays Arthur, the boarder who has been “Someone in the Greenhouse” for years, almost part of the family, and in on one of the family secrets. Thornton makes Arthur a quiet observer, caring but a little bit reticent – hiding who he’d really like to be.

Jasper Barnard is Simon, the boy next door who spends his time pretending to fix the lawnmower so he can talk to Poppy, even though she doesn’t appreciate his attention. Barnard makes Simon a bit gangly, but thoughtful and observant, especially in his many still moments on the stage – or in some of his smart lines like “He’s not even a real actor. He hasn’t even been on Home and Away”.

That actor, Gilford, is played by Jack Taylor, who gives the character lots of hopeful ambition and positivity as he relishes the many ‘theatre’ references and stage jargon that Gimblett managed to inject into the script, particularly the song “What’s my Motivation”.

Together the six actors take the audience though a background of ‘secrets and lies’ interspersed with some gentle, mellow songs and some clever, carefully written lyrics, and light one-liners. When asked her favourite Greek God Sophie, carrying a basket of washing, replies, not Croesus but “Creaseless … the God of Ironing”.

At a time when the world is ‘droning’ with uncertainty and musicals are written about subjects like netball and the evil dead, it’s nice to see something that is, as Gimblett says “optimistic and heartfelt”.

Carol Wimmer