The Old Fitz Theatre opened its doors for the premiere of the play ‘Crimes of the Heart’. A small crowd gathered to watch the funny, and sometimes a little sad, story of four women.

The entry to the Old Fitz Theatre is only through an old, but charming pub. The pub itself was buzzing with guests and for an unsuspecting person nothing would have pointed towards a theatre in the building. However, in the basement of the pub, is a petite but fully functioning theatre. There’s enough room for a small crowd to gather in very close proximity to the stage. The size of the theatre actually makes it a lot more intimate and makes the audience feel as if they are much closer to the happenings in the play than in bigger theatres.

‘Crimes of the Heart’ is a play set in 1947 in the American town ‘Hazlehurst’. There, the four female main characters live, all with their own problems. The play is actually a small collection of stories, which drive the four main characters. One of the characters turns 30, but she is insecure and lonely due to the fact that she can’t have children. Another character moved to California to pursue her music career, but ends up working in an office. The third character is a woman who had an affair with a 15-year-old black boy and just shot her husband. The fourth character only enters the scene every now and again and functions as the voice of the townspeople.

However, the underlying topic of the whole play seems to be the struggle with mental health and keeping sane. Some of the characters in the story have to be reassured that they are ‘normal’ and not mentally ill, even though they clearly are.

‘Crimes of the Heart’ makes for an interesting and fun night out and is suitable for old and young. It gives a tragic but comedic look at society, and the intimate settings makes it very effective for the audience.

If you are interested in seeing ‘Crimes of the Heart’ or if you would like to watch another play at the Old Fitz Theatre, tickets are available online.

– Monique
Monique Pitzer was born and raised in Germany, where she also started working as a freelance journalist and freelance writer. She moved to Australia and started a business as a writer, translator, and tutor.

Crimes of the Heart is running til 8 April at the Old Fitz Theatre in Woolloomooloo. Buy tickets online. The theatre is accessible via a side entrance.

Disclosure: The Plus Ones were invited guests of The Old Fitz Theatre.
Photo credit: Rupert Reid