As part of the Working Dog team, Tom Gleisner has created comedy gold in films and TV shows such as The Castle, The Dish, Utopia and Have You Been Paying Attention?

So, news that he had written his first stage musical with composer Katie Weston drew plenty of attention and the show, Bloom, played to sold-out audiences when Melbourne Theatre Company premiered it in 2023.

Christina O’Neill, John O’May, Evelyn Krape, Maria Mercedes, Christie Whelan Browne, Jackie Rees and Slone Sudiro in Bloom, 2025. Photo © Daniel Boud

Sydney Theatre Company is now presenting the MTC production (with a few cast changes), directed by Dean Bryant.

Bloom in set in Pine Grove Aged Care Facility, where the owner, Mrs MacIntyre, is slashing costs by cutting programs and outings. Her latest plan sees her offering free board to university students in exchange for assistance as carers.

The musical comedy opens with the arrival of two people – the spirited Rose, a reluctant new resident who is being forced into aged care after setting her bed on fire, and Finn, a struggling uni student looking for somewhere to live.

Finn has no qualifications as a career but Mrs MacIntyre couldn’t care less. However, his laid-back attitude riles Ruby, a dedicated, overworked young career. Ruby’s more experienced colleague Gloria tries to maintain the peace and support the residents, while basically keeping the place afloat.

Along the way to a happy ending (with some sadness too), we get to know a bit about the other residents as friendships form, romance blossoms, alliances shift and justice is done.

The show, which is slow to get going, is fairly predictable. Gleisner’s book includes some very funny lines, but the lyrics don’t dig deep, and the music isn’t particularly memorable.

However, Gleisner does address some serious issues to do with the state of aged care in Australia; the way elder citizens are often disregarded; the loneliness of many older people; the benefits that come from cross-generational interaction – not to mention the joy of music and singing in a choir.

More in-depth characterisation along with a few surprises in the storytelling and structure would help give those messages more punch.

The tone of the piece is also somewhat unbalanced. On the one hand, Mrs MacIntyre and the ferocious chef, who appears with a meat cleaver, are over the top caricatures, who come across as cartoony villains, while the other characters are more naturalistically drawn.

That said, Christie Whelan Browne is extremely funny as Mrs MacIntyre. A fine comic actor, she finds every ounce of humour to hand, and had the opening night audience roaring with laughter. The show really takes off when she leads a couple of  rousing song-and-dance numbers, in which Bryant and choreographer Andrew Hallsworth add some tongue-in-cheek pizzazz to the production.

Bloom, Sydney Theatre Company, 2025. Photo © Daniel Boud

Bryant has gathered a strong cast ranging across generations from young performers to musical theatre veterans.

The best drawn character is Rose – a former music teacher who has led an adventurous life, resents having to give up her independence and encourages Finn and Ruby to do more with their lives.

Evelyn Krape is marvellous in the role, delivering a fierce, fiery and funny performance as she stands her ground in the face of the dismissive Mrs MacIntyre. Her developing relationships with Finn and Ruby are also touching.

Slone Sudiro is a likeable Finn, while Christina O’Neill gives a warm-hearted, dignified performance as the generous, unflappable Gloria. Vidya Makan is a passionate Ruby and her performance of the song The Best is Yet to Be is a musical highlight.

The residents include John O’May as the fruity old stage actor Roland, who’s convinced he’s about to hit the boards; John Waters as Doug, who used to be someone that people turned to for help, but now feels left behind after losing his wife and having a stroke; Jackie Rees as Lesley, a talented painter with a soft spot for Doug; and Maria Mercedes as the chef and Betty, a kleptomaniac in an electric mobility scooter, who misses her neglectful son. Eddie Muliaumaseali’i plays a series of roles, including the withdrawn Sal.

Dann Barber’s effective set design captures the sterile atmosphere of the run-down aged care centre. Charlotte Lane’s costumes, from scrubs to casual outfits, also fit the bill. Her colourful outfits for Rose suit the character and make her stand out. However, it seems an odd decision to put the residents and staff into floral costumes for their fundraising concert. It makes it look like a children’s performance, when one of Gleisner’s points is that older people shouldn’t be infantilised.

Stephen Sondheim famously said that musicals aren’t written, they are rewritten, and Bloom could do with further development. Nonetheless, it has its poignant moments and it certainly has an important message. It has clearly been delighting audiences, so if it gets people thinking about aged care, while entertaining them at the same time, that’s a good start.

Bloom plays at the Roslyn Packer Theatre, Walsh Bay, Sydney until 11 May.