Genesian Theatre Company
Joseph's Church Hall, 2B Gordon Street, Rozelle, 2039
The Australian Premiere of an original musical, 18 Eden Avenue charts the fortunes of three generations of women. They share life under one roof in a run-down, historic house – until a handsome young boarder arrives. He brings changes to the dynamic in the house, stirring up laughter, romance and long-buried secrets.
Packed with wit, warmth and catchy songs, this fresh new musical has already charmed audiences in New Zealand with standing ovations and rave reviews. A sparkling contemporary story about family, love and the surprises that live behind closed doors.
Three generations of women share life under one roof in a historic house – until a handsome young boarder arrives and stirs up laughter, romance and long-buried secrets. Packed with wit, warmth and catchy songs, this fresh new musical has already charmed audiences in New Zealand with standing ovations and rave reviews. A sparkling contemporary story about family, love and the surprises that live behind closed doors.
All treasure hunters will appreciate this wholesome musical
Production Credits
| Director | Roger Gimblett |
| Musical Director | Christine Firkin |
| Set Design | Roger Gimblett with Peter Curtis and Gregor Erdmann |
| Wardrobe Design | Molly Haddon |
| Lighting & Sound Effect Design | Michael Schell |
| Sound Design | Cian Byrne |
| Rehearsal Associate | Timothy Bennett |
Cast
| Sophie | Isabella Rodrigues |
| Honoria (Sophie’s Mum) | Jenny Jacobs |
| Poppy (Sophie’s Daughter) | Sophia Laurantus |
| Arthur (a shy, retiring long-term boarder) | Greg Thornton |
| Gilford (an actor and new boarder arrived from the country) | Jack Taylor |
| Simon (the guy next door) | Jasper Barnard |
| Terpsichore (the cat) | Largely Unseen |
18 Eden Avenue Is a Warm Reminder of Why Local Theatre Matters
In an age where selling a theatre ticket has never been harder, there is something genuinely admirable about the Genesian Theatre Company choosing to programme new works. It takes courage and a commitment to expanding what audiences expect from a night at the theatre. 18 Eden Avenue is exactly that kind of show — imperfect in places, but earnest in all the right ways, and a reminder that local theatre remains one of the great undervalued pleasures of Australian life.
The story centres on the residents of a suburban house at 18 Eden Avenue, where multiple generations navigate relationships, family tensions, and the awkwardness of young love. At its heart, the musical explores connection: teenagers discovering their feelings for the first time, adults juggling responsibility and expectation, and an older generation whose memories and eccentricities colour the household. The domestic setting gives the show a gentle intimacy, allowing the characters’ personalities and interactions to drive much of the narrative.
Roger Gimbett takes on the triple role of writer, director and set designer — an enormous undertaking — and for the most part the production sits comfortably within the intimacy of the small stage space. The story moves with humour and heart across its two acts, and there is genuine charm in the world he has created. While the set is thoughtfully conceived, the printed backdrops and painted elements do not always sit comfortably together visually. Occasional sightline issues and some confusing blocking decisions also made the action harder to follow at times, moments that may have benefited from the perspective of a broader creative team to help refine the staging and improve clarity.
Musically, the production is guided by musical director Christine Firkin, who faces the unenviable task of rehearsing and presenting songs supported by MIDI backing tracks. While the cast clearly worked hard to bring energy and commitment to the numbers, the lack of higher-quality accompaniment affected the musicality of the vocals.
Those six cast members bring considerable energy to the stage, and it is in the performances where 18 Eden Avenue really finds its heart. Jasper Barnard as Simon captures the particular agony of a teenage crush with authenticity, while Jack Taylor as Gilford is a reliable source of laughs, particularly in Act 2, which gives him real room to run. Greg Thornton brings a quiet, understated warmth to Arthur, grounding the ensemble beautifully.
But the show belongs, unambiguously, to its three generations of women. Sophie Laurantus as Poppy walks the tightrope between teenage independence and maternal reliance with impressive ease. Isabella Rodrigues brings real strength to a woman holding everything together under pressure — her performance has a steel to it that the show genuinely needs. And Jenny Jacobs as the senile grandmother Honoria is simply a delight, milking every comic line, drawing some of the evening’s biggest laughs.
In a world teetering on the edge of anxiety — and let’s be honest, WW3 is not feeling entirely hypothetical right now — there is no better medicine than two hours of live storytelling with people who care deeply about what they’re doing. Get along and support your local theatre. You’ll be glad you did.
– The other Daniel Craig
Daniel Craig is an international performer and has established himself as a trusted theatre specialist on the Sydney Arts Scene. While he understands the technical side of theatre, Dan writes for the everyday theatregoer (unlike some of those more prominent publications). When not in the audience, he loves to travel the world and try new gins.
18 Eden Avenue runs for 2 hours 30 minutes (with a 20-min interval) and plays at St Joseph’s Church Hall, Rozelle through 28 March 2026. Tickets are available through TicketSearch.
Disclosure: The Plus Ones were guests of Genesian Theatre Company.
Image credit: Homepix at Fivedock and Simon Pearce
18 Eden Avenue – A Musical
Number 18 Eden Avenue is a big, old, historic house. It’s the family home of Sophie who’s a dance teacher, her daughter Poppy who’s nearly 16, and Sophie’s mother Honoria, who’s a little bit eccentric … and confused. There’s a boarder who works at the local post office and raises plants in a greenhouse at the bottom of the garden in his pare time. And a cat that inhabits the ballroom.
There is also a teenager called Simon, who lives next door … and a newly arrived boarder called Gilford, an aspiring actor from the country.
Roger Gimblett and New Zealand composer Sally Bodkin-Allen combined their skills again to create this gentle little musical that they began to write in 1994 – and “found again” during the Covid lockdowns. The finished work debuted in Invercargill in New Zealand in 2022. This production, directed by Gimblett himself, is its Australian debut.
18 Eden Avenue is not your usual musical! There’s no high-stepping, three-part harmony chorus/ensemble. There are no Disney-type animal characters or mermaids or flying cars. It’s just what the advertising suggests: “a contemporary story about family, love and the surprises that live behind closed doors.”
“Honoria, Sophie and Poppy”, as their first song explains are “Three Strong Women”.
Honoria, played by Jenny Jacobs, has had an interesting past. It’s nice to see a musical that includes an older, wise, female character and Jacobs brings her own wisdom and experience to the Honoraria she plays. She makes her more aware than she pretends to be, a little bit crafty, and aware of the perplexities of aging especially when she sings “When I Dream … I remember the things don’t recall”.
That song is special. There is much in it that will reach those in the audience who identify with Honoraria … or those who care for loved ones like her … or those like Gimblett and Bodkin-Allen who are understanding and aware.
Isabella Rodrigues is Sophie, a single mother looking after her family, boarders, and a run- down house that needs repair. Rodrigues has a good stage presence and a nice sense of comic timing, both of which she uses effectively to find the considered balance in this character. The Sophie she creates is strong, independent, thoughtful, covering any moments of regret or resentment with inner strength and quick wit.
Poppy, played by Sophie Laurantus, is more aware than most teenagers and Laurantus makes her thoughtful, understanding, and uncannily wise. Her Poppy is observant – and Laurantus uses stillness and watchfulness effectively to show the intelligence and unusual depth of this young woman.
Greg Thornton plays Arthur, the boarder who has been “Someone in the Greenhouse” for years, almost part of the family, and in on one of the family secrets. Thornton makes Arthur a quiet observer, caring but a little bit reticent – hiding who he’d really like to be.
Jasper Barnard is Simon, the boy next door who spends his time pretending to fix the lawnmower so he can talk to Poppy, even though she doesn’t appreciate his attention. Barnard makes Simon a bit gangly, but thoughtful and observant, especially in his many still moments on the stage – or in some of his smart lines like “He’s not even a real actor. He hasn’t even been on Home and Away”.
That actor, Gilford, is played by Jack Taylor, who gives the character lots of hopeful ambition and positivity as he relishes the many ‘theatre’ references and stage jargon that Gimblett managed to inject into the script, particularly the song “What’s my Motivation”.
Together the six actors take the audience though a background of ‘secrets and lies’ interspersed with some gentle, mellow songs and some clever, carefully written lyrics, and light one-liners. When asked her favourite Greek God Sophie, carrying a basket of washing, replies, not Croesus but “Creaseless … the God of Ironing”.
At a time when the world is ‘droning’ with uncertainty and musicals are written about subjects like netball and the evil dead, it’s nice to see something that is, as Gimblett says “optimistic and heartfelt”.
Carol Wimmer
