The CrissCross Production of The Bridge, which has just opened at the KX Theatre on Broadway, is a look at a modern generational war, this time the clash between Gen X and Gen Y, or punk vs Tik Tok.
The story, by Clare Hennessy, Ritchie Black and Sunny Grace, came about after the three completed a writer’s course at NIDA, and dives into the life of a broken down and aged rock star Amber (Zoe Carides), who is thrown into further chaos when Tik Tok presence Alyssa hijacks her one successful song, and finds herself on a unexpected trajectory.
At its core it is a story of betrayal, competitiveness and two women finding their spaces in the world of a male dominated music industry.
A major thread through The Bridge is the divide between the digital age and the non digital age and the struggle to recognise each person’s worth while maintaining the rage. A major subplot of the play is Amber’s relationship with her son Layne (Saro Lepejian) and how his existence relates to her song Medea’s Curse.
Another crucial player in this is the duplicitous record company executive Phil (Brendan Miles) who manages to pit the two performers against each other. Fleshing the stage out in multiple roles each are Andrea Mugpalong and Matt Abotomey.
The story and the characters are somewhat thinly drawn and often resort to cliches that are rescued by strong performances, particularly those of Carides, Hennessy, Miles and Mugpalong.
The three writers have wisely stayed away from developing deep analysis of characters where individual style can be apparent and have produced something with a seamless style.
Director Lucinda Gleeson has done well blocking the actors performance to suit the KXT’s traverse stage, but occasionally overlooks their projections, and in particular Alyssa’s faltering attempts of the song. At other times the audio of Alyssa’s videos do not match the action of the stage performers.
Carides is well cast as the one hit rock goddess who has seen better days, with a litany of past indiscretions that do not disappoint. Her performance has glimmers of the arrogance worthy of a rock goddess and the vulnerability that comes from motherhood, while rising to the occasion to take down this new interloper.
Hennessy’s Alyssa first appears as a video projection in her Tik Tok posts which are eerily disembodied but sizzles in her on later stage exchanges with Carides as she attempts to validate her art form and discovers how the generational divide will play out.
We first see Mugpalong as Amber’s long suffering bass player, which she pulls off with conviction. When we see her next she is the power bitch to Phil and must somehow get these two women to bend to the record company’s will, even though Amber feels betrayed. Again, well played.
The character of Phil represents all things wrong with the music industry and is fleshed out beautifully by Miles. Lepejian’s role as Amber’s son Layne is important to finding out her back story and how she finds her way going forward, and is well played within the confines of the character.
The multiple roles performed by Abotomey provide colour and at times energy and comic relief to the staging.
For any faults that The Bridge may have, most are overcome with solid performances providing an enjoyable night and if at times it falls into clichés, maybe it is because rock and roll is the biggest cliché of all.
The Bridge
KXT on Broadway, 181 Broadway, Ultimo (Sydney)
Season continues to 13 September 2025
Information and Bookings: www.kingsxtheatre.com
Image: Clare Hennessy in The Bridge – photo by Ravyna Jassani
Review: John Moyle