Writer: Vivienne Howell
Director: Peter Blackburn
In an anonymous room, keepsakes, costumes and other items are plucked from out of a case. Each one of them is the prompt for a memory, and the memories as a whole combine to tell the story of a life lived in this one woman show, written and performed by Vivienne Howell.
The Diva in the title is opera singer Louisa McCrae, and the story she recounts takes her from Australia to London and Paris through triumph, success and tragedy. Showcasing her operatic voice as well as her acting skills, the story is interspersed with singing as McCrae takes herself back to the stages and schools that return to vivid life in her memory. The singing is superb, her vocals having a clarity and range that reels back the years and show that in her mind at least McCrae is still in the Opera Houses she sang in decades before.
The consistent triumphs, at times against the odds, until one shattering blow late on, mean that there is a danger this could be a one-dimensional show. Howell seems aware of this risk and recreates other characters and voices, from friends and teachers, to partners and parents, to provide contrast and tone and ensure that the monologue never becomes monotone.
Howell leaves a gap in the narrative between the story that unfolds through the contents of the case, and the present day. By not closing the gap, it becomes open to interpretation as to whether the memories are real, or a false recollection to cover up a different reality or fill a void where knowledge has faded entirely. The ambiguity may be a strength or weakness depending on how much certainty an audience is looking for. Similarly, for audiences looking for showbusiness struggles, the ease that McCrae overcame the relatively few obstacles that stood in her way creates a sense that there is a lack of tension or conflict in much of the show. But as a tale of a life and career lived to the full, aligned with melancholy undertones of time passing, this is an exceptional show.
Runs until 24 August 2025
