The Roommate, which has opened at the Ensemble Theatre, is a lesson in stagecraft from the actors, but with one big contentious issue.
Written by queer enfant terrible of new American drama, Jen Silverman, the play oscillates between the inventive and soap opera, as it follows the collision between recently divorced mid-western housewife Sharon (Lucy Bell) and her newly arrived brash Bronx roomie, Robyn (Belinda Bromilow).
Think a female version of The Odd Couple and you would be close.
First staged in 2015, the play explores the exchanges between the two disparate lives as they get to know each other, and eventually form a bond that neither expected.
Sharon needs to grow as a person in her own right, and Robyn requires a touch of warmth in her life, as they bond over their children, now well out of their orbits and leading their own lives.
In discovery moments, Robyn declares that she is gay and vegan, while Sharon explains that her dress designer son lives in Brooklyn with his girlfriend, who is a lesbian, and that contact is minimal.
Sharon’s view of the world is suddenly expanded as Robyn introduces her to weed, which she takes to instantly, and eventually confesses her life as a scam artist who uses manipulative phone calls to gain access to vital credit card information.
Immediately Sharon wants to try this on her friends, using her school girl French as a cover, in what is the best scene of the play.
Robyn is impressed by both the audacity and the success of the newby scammer, and together the two embark on a spree, until an event in the home triggers Robyn to hit the road again, leaving Sharon to go through the possessions she has left, resulting in a surprising discovery.
Bell and Bromilow, in her first stage role in Australia in 14 years, work well together, and also in the moments when they are on stage alone, with Bell having more of a trajectory to follow.
While Bromilow’s accent is never quite right, she is captivating as she quickly adapts to and inhabits the temporary home she has chosen.
The problem for this well produced play is in Silverman’s script, which leans more to the trite, as its lacks in motivation, character development and moral compass for the actors, and fails to develop past the superficial.
Despite introducing issues such as sexual preferences, light drug use, smoking and personal space, it does not explore these any further than a prurient mention for a laugh from the audience.
Lee Lewis once again directs with aplomb, and when the two actresses find the best moments in the script, we witness some very fine moments on the stage; it’s just a pity that there weren’t more of them.
The interior of Sharon’s midwestern kitchen and lounge by Simone Romaniuk with tiled floor looks very Home Beautiful and desirable, as it provides an easy space for the actors to navigate at their most animated, and plays well as Robyn goes out to the porch for yet another cigarette.
Matt Cox’s lighting makes the set even more comfortable as he covers the space with lighting for different times of the day, while composer Madeleine Picard’s composition marks well the episodic spaces in the production.
By having the actors perform in two different American dialects, distracts from the performances and along with the script flaws, distance us from them further.
In all, The Roommate is a mixed bag, two great performances that operate in what’s often a void of reality and tension.
The Roommate
Ensemble Theatre, 78 McDougall Street, Kirribilli
Performance: Tuesday 23 June 2026
Season continues to 25 July 2026
Information and Bookings: www.ensemble.com.au
Images: Belinda Bromilow and Lucy Bell in The Roommate – photos by Brett Boardman
Review: John Moyle