Clever, witty and deeply relatable, Carol introduces audiences to a woman whose life has been quietly unravelled beneath the weight of loss, responsibility and unspoken grief.
Carol, a 60-something woman born on Christmas Day, is navigating her first Christmas and birthday without her husband. Left with emotional scars and a mountain of debt her husband concealed, Carol does what so many Australian mums do: she keeps going. She cooks the Christmas lunch, shows up for her kids and tries to hold the family together, even as her own spirit falters.
Andrea Gibbs’ writing shines with authenticity and heart.
Rather than painting Carol as a victim, Gibbs presents her as a woman caught between past traditions and an uncertain future. Her attempts at group counselling, where she sits in silence, unable to share capture the quiet resilience and vulnerability familiar to many. Yet hope, as the play gently reminds us, has a way of appearing in the most unexpected forms.
The tension builds quietly. Then it pops in small, funny bursts. Carol stumbles, tries again, and somehow keeps going. It’s real it’s raw. And it’s instantly recognisable.
Enter Santa or at least a wonderfully unconventional version of him, who helps Carol rediscover joy from the most unlikely place: a kombi van. What unfolds is a moving blend of humour, nostalgia and emotional truth.
Sally-Anne Upton’s performance as Carol is exceptional, delivering nuance, warmth and a grounded realism that anchors the entire production.
This is storytelling at its finest honest, human and full of heart.
Carol promises to captivate audiences at the Heath Ledger Theatre from 22 November to 14 December, offering a Christmas story that lingers long after the lights come up.