In  Sally Alrich-Smythe’s HOMESICK we meet Sam,  a young woman going through a turbulent time in her life.

She has always fancied herself as a muso and  has picked up a good local following. Sam wants  more, she has come to the point where she wants to establish a career as a singer/songwriter.

Sam applies for a full scholarship to a leading music college in New York and is accepted. With the full support of her family Eliza went over to New York, hoping to get her big break in the industry.

Things don’t quite work out for Sam in New York. She finds the course difficult and is homesick for her little home town of Wallerawang.

The play starts on a blue note with Sam arriving back home. Her mum Rachel has picked up her up from the airport. Sam is greeted by her dotty grandmother Eadie.

Sam is jet lagged and in a bit of a grumpy mood. Her mood isn’t helped when she sees the flat in  disarray and  the main wall to her bedroom has been taken out. She also finds out that her favourite goldfish has died,

Sam wants to get some shut eye but this doesn’t eventuate. Her  grandmother is far too eager to chat and, more to the point, her ex boyfriend Jess climbs in through the bedroom window to welcome  her back.

I was engrossed by the play but wanted more from it. There was too much talk and not enough action. The ending also was a bit of a disappointment.

Claudia Osborne’s production is a good one. There was the use of some ‘home’ video through the play, which generally worked well. I wondered about the choice of some of the video which was quite indecipherable.

Eliza Scott gave a fetching performance as Sam. Deborah  Galanos played Sam’s loving mother, a bit concerned about her daughter’s sudden return home. Annie Byron was well cast as Sam’s dotty grandmother.

Alex Stylianou impressed as Sam’s very animated, ebullient ex Jess.

Verdict. There was a lot of promise in Alrich-Smythe’s play. It does need more work on it before it would be considered for a mainstream production.

Sally Alrich-Smythe’s HOMESICK played the Old 505 Theatre between the 8th and 12th December, 2019.