Review: KIMBERLY AKIMBO at Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre

Reviewed by Barry Lenny, Friday 11th July 2025.

The State Theatre Company of South Australia, in association with the Melbourne Theatre Company and Wagnan Productions Sarah Rohrsheim is presenting the Tony Award-winning musical, Kimberly Akimbo, with book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire, based on his play, with music by Jeanine Tesori. It is directed with his usual flair by former Artistic Director, now Artistic Director of the Sydney Theatre Company, Mitchell Butel, with musical direction by Kym Purling, leading a very fine, albeit well-hidden eight-piece band, and extensive choreography by Amy Campbell.

Putting a musical that won five Tony Awards in the hands of a director who won four Helpmann Awards is about as close to a solid gold guarantee of success as you can get, especially if he also casts some of the most popular and talented people in the main roles, and some impressive newcomers in the supporting roles. It is not surprising that State Theatre has had to stage this production in the much larger Her Majesty’s Theatre than its more often used venue, the Dunstan Playhouse. Opening night was packed.
 
It is suburban New Jersey in 1999 and Kimberley Levaco, a lonely teenager, is new in town. She is about to turn 16 but, due to an unnamed condition which suggests the extremely rare genetic disorder, progeria, she is aging at four to five times the normal rate. Her life expectancy is only 16 years. Marina Prior takes on the titular role of Kimberly, almost 16, but physically in her 70s, in an emotionally wide-ranging performance. She creates an endearing character and carries the audience with her through light-hearted and comical moments, to highly poignant passages, and to an uplifting finale, planning to live every remaining day to the full. She gives a wonderful performance.

Nathan O'Keefe plays Buddy, Kim’s alcoholic father, who means well, but constantly fails. His first appearance is when he arrives late and inebriated to pick up Kim from the ice skating rink, several hours after it closed, leaving her sitting outside in the cold waiting for him. The role of Buddy gives the talented O’Keefe plenty of scope for creating a character with much more depth and variety than the description, a dipsomaniac father, might suggest.

Christie Whelan Browne plays Pattie, Kim’s pregnant, self-absorbed mother, who is far too wrapped up in herself, and the imminent arrival of the baby, to spare much time for her daughter. Pattie, too is a complex character, and Christie Whelan Browne explores the full range of Pattie’s personality in a sterling performance.

The further the performance continues, the more dysfunctional we realise this family has become, with some shocking revelations ahead. There is still one more member of the family with whom they have to contend.

Casey Donovan is Debra, Kim’s overbearing aunt, a Fagin-like crook, recently released from prison, again, with a highly illegal plan to make money, which means recruiting Kimberley and her schoolmates. Debra is a nasty piece of work, manipulative, crafty, devious, and with no qualms about risking the futures of Kim and her friends, whilst keeping herself at a safe distance from the crime. Donovan brings plenty of laughs to the role, not missing a trick.

Elder Conservatorium's Music Theatre degree graduate, Darcy Wain, plays Seth Weetis, Seth is a geek who is fascinated by anagrams, plays the tuba, and works at the ice skating rink. Seth is paired with Kimberley in a science project, which they base on her illness, and they eventually become very close. Wain brings both warmth and humour to the role in a very sensitive performance.

The cast includes a second-year student in the Elder Conservatorium's Music Theatre degree course at the University of Adelaide, Allycia Angeles, as Delia, hereby turning professional long before completing her studies. Another graduate of that course is Alana Iannace, as Teresa, with Jacob Rozario, as Aaron, and Marty Alix, as Martin. They are four of Kim’s fellow students who join in with Debra’s crooked scheme. They are not merely a group of backing singers. Each of them has a clearly defined character, they sing superbly, with some fine harmonies, perform some very energetic choreography, and add considerable humour to the production, with excellent comic timing and delivery. Watch for their hilarious science class presentations. Keep an eye open for these four rising stars in the future. It would be worth a second visit just to watch everything that these four performers are doing in the background.

It all takes place on Jonathon Oxlade’s open box set, overlaid with geometric flats, all in pastel colours, with set pieces trucked in and out to create the different locations. Matt Scott’s lighting imposed on that set created a multitude of patterns. Ailsa Paterson’s colourful, period-styled costumes stand out against that background, and Andrew Poppleton added the important sound design. Oh, yes, and the entire cast has to spend time whizzing around the stage on roller blades, simulating ice-skating at the local rink.

Mitchell Butel, Kym Purling, and Amy Campbell have crafted a wonderful production, and their entire, excellent cast has given them something of which they can be very proud.

There was, unsurprisingly, a standing ovation and much enthusiastic applause at the end of the performance. You only have until next weekend to see this sensational production before it heads off to Melbourne, so don’t delay, book your tickets today.

Photography, Sam Roberts.