Angela Nica Sullen and Mandy McElhinney in Tiny Beautiful Things. Photo: Brett Boardman.
Mandy McElhinney shines as the down-to-earth ‘agony aunt’ who delves into her own experiences of love and loss to advise those who seek her help (or, in some instances, offer skepticism and abuse). As a wife, a mother, a daughter, a writer, and an ex-heroin user, she has experiences to share.
Tiny Beautiful Things debuted off-Broadway in 2016, adapted for the stage by Nia Vardalos (she of My Big Fat Greek Wedding fame) from Cheryl Strayed’s bestselling book, and is an almost reassuring piece of theatre in the midst of seemingly never-ending bad news headlines.
Responding online under the pseudonym Sugar, and working from the kitchen table in her family home, she answers questions with a mixture of radical common sense, humour and insight. The letter writers are voiced by a trio of actors – Nic Prior, Stephen Geronimos and Angela Nica Sullen – and range from grief and guilt, rape and loss, gender identity and parental bickering through to lighter dilemmas such as to how to advise a man nervous about role-playing a sexy Santa.
McElhinney commands our attention throughout, keeping the mood light and sympathetic even when the subject matter is dark. Love and forgiveness are central themes, especially when the world seems desperately bleak – as is the case for ‘Living Dead Dad’, a sombre scenario towards the close of this 105-minute show.
Directed by Lee Lewis, the production shares co-conception credits between Vardalos, Marshall Heyman and Thomas Kail, and began life in Australia as a Queensland Theatre production before this transfer to Belvoir St. Simone Romaniuk’s set is a work of art in itself, a cutaway of a slightly chaotic family home, superbly aided and abetted by the talents of Bernie Tan-Hayes (lighting) and Brady Watkins (sound design).
As the title suggests, it is the tiny and thoughtful things that make life precious. Celebrate them.
Tiny Beautiful Things runs till 2 March at Belvoir.
Tickets: $34-$95
https://belvoir.com.au/productions/tiny-beautiful-things/ or (02) 9699 3444
