Kimberly Akimbo: A Musical review

Kimberly Akimbo: A Musical might seem like your typical coming-of-age musical, but it quickly proves to be something stranger, darker, and slightly more surreal. The story follows a 16-year-old teenager who has a rare genetic condition that causes her to age four times faster than usual. As she negotiates her way through high school, first love, and a wildly dysfunctional family, Kimberly is also racing against time in her quest to experience life before it slips away.

Marina Prior takes on the role of Kimberly and does a fantastic job of conveying the character’s unique challenges. She captures the confusion and vulnerability of a teenage girl trapped in an older body with subtlety and heart, never tipping into over-the-top comedy. Her performance is authentic and sincere, which is no small feat given the material. Darcy Wain is an absolute scene-stealer as the awkwardly endearing Seth. He shares an effortless chemistry with Prior and his presence brings a welcome charge to the show, making Seth its quiet anchor amid the mayhem.

During the first act, I found myself questioning the inclusion of Kimberley's aunt Debra’s place in the narrative. She seemed chaotic for the sake of being chaotic. But by the second I was immensely grateful for it, because Casey Donovan is the unexpected star of this production, delivering a performance that’s equal parts outrageous and magnetic. Her razor-sharp comedic timing and expressive physicality give the jolt that keeps you invested, even when the show meanders.

The book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire (based on his own play) are deeply frustrating at times. If Kimberly is meant to be our heroine, why does so much of the first act forget she’s the emotional centre? She is present, but so much unfolds around her with very little actually coming from her. The second act attempts to refocus the narrative, but it builds to an improbable finale that isn't grounded even in the world the show has spent two hours creating.

Her parents (played with plenty of spark by Christie Whelan Browne and Nathan O'Keefe), meanwhile, are truly awful people. The micro and macroaggressions they direct at Kimberly are never meaningfully explored or resolved. It’s a missed opportunity for depth, and while this is supposed to be a fun musical, if you're going to bring in serious issues like medical trauma, neglect, and psychological abuse, they need to be dealt with properly.

The songs are disappointingly basic. Few provide real insight into the characters’ inner lives, and the recurring songs to the family's unborn baby grow tiresome fast. Instead of enriching the stakes, the music often feels like filler, it's pleasant enough, but we're not going to remember these songs the next day. 

Despite these shortcomings, Mitchell Buttel’s direction successfully navigates a tricky balancing act that blends the show’s weightier themes with its quirky humour. Given the unevenness of the script, he does well to keep the pacing mostly engaging and for the performances to shine, including some great moments from Kimberly's fellow classmates (Marty Alix, Allycia Angeles, Alanna Iannace and Jacob Rozario).

Jonathon Oxlade's set design of random shapes along the backdrop evoke a sense of irregularity and things not quite fitting together, similar to Kimberly and her surroundings. She’s a teenager in an aging body with a difficult family, trying to piece together a “normal” life from a very unconventional existence. The snow globe-esque design of her home allows for the pressure cooker within the household to build, living in such tight constraints. Ailsa Paterson's costumes pair up nicely with Oxlade's set, taking us back to 1999 with lots of bright colours and reinforcing character traits without ever being too on-the-nose. 

Ultimately, this is a show of contrasts with instances of genuine warmth and strong performances getting tangled with a plot that struggles to find its focus and songs that rarely deepen the emotional impact. But the show’s ambition and the cast’s commitment offer enough moments to keep us entertained. Kimberly Akimbo: A Musical is a challenging story to tell, and even with its flaws, it provides a thoughtful glimpse into a world that’s as unique as it is heartbreaking. 

SHOW DETAILS

Venue: Arts Centre Melbourne, 100 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne
Season: until 30 Aug | Mon - Tues 6.30pm, Wed - Sat 7:30pm. Sat 2:00pm
Duration:
 150 minutes including interval
Tickets: $36 - $135
Bookings: Melbourne Theatre Company

Images credit: Sam Roberts