The world premiere of Daniel Keene’s The Lark, directed by Matt Scholten, is haunting, humane and deeply moving. At its centre is Noni Hazlehurst, one of Australia’s most beloved stars of stage and screen, delivering a performance so deeply felt, so finely calibrated, that it lingers in the mind long after you leave the theatre.
Hazlehurst inhabits Rose Grey, a woman in her seventies who has returned one last time to The Lark, a small, inner-city Melbourne pub slated for demolition after six months of closure. For Rose, this abandoned building is not just bricks and mortar; it is memory itself, saturated with the laughter, grief, and ghosts of generations past.
Keene’s writing captures this in luminous fragments of memory and regret, weaving a text that meditates on the inevitability of change, the ache of nostalgia, and the courage required to let go.
Scholten’s direction is beautifully understated, trusting Hazlehurst’s remarkable ability to shift seamlessly between warmth and heartbreak, grounding the piece in authenticity. Together, actor and director allow silence to speak as eloquently as words, creating a theatrical experience that feels both intimate and monumental.
The production’s design elements elevate the story with quiet brilliance. Emily Barrie’s set is simple yet resonant – a shell of a pub that becomes both a prison of memory and a sacred site of farewell. Richard Vabre’s lighting, spare but evocative, bathes the space in hues of melancholy and renewal, while Darius Kedros’ sound design delicately layers the ambience of a city that has moved on, leaving Rose suspended between past and future.
What emerges is not just the story of one woman and her pub, but a universal tale of memory, loss, and the inexorable march of time. The Lark asks us to consider what we cling to, what we must release, and how we navigate the spaces between.
Hazlehurst’s performance alone makes it unmissable, but the collective artistry on display ensures that The Lark will be remembered as a work of rare grace and one of the theatrical highlights to be seen on the Melbourne stage in 2025.
The Lark
Fairfax Studio – Arts Centre Melbourne, 100 St Kilda Road, Melbourne
Performance: Thursday 4 September 2025
Season continues to 28 September 2025
Information and Bookings: www.artscentremelbourne.com.au
Following the Melbourne season, The Lark will be presented in Brisbane at the Cremorne Theatre – QPAC from 15 to 26 October 2025.
Images: Noni Hazlehurst in The Lark – photos by Cameron Grant, Parenthesy
Review: Rohan Shearn