I laughed and, I’m not ashamed to admit it, cried during Spoons – Damian Callinan’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival show that’s currently playing at the Arts Centre Melbourne.
The tender and heartwarming – yet very funny – story of Stan Coates, an 84-year old widower facing the slow push towards moving in to residential aged care has a simple premise as we witness his resistance to moving from the home he loves, that he shared with his deceased wife, filled with memories and close to friends and his beloved community in Spotswood.
Stan could be anyone’s wise-cracking and quick-witted Dad or Pop and is a character you find yourself really being drawn to and cheering on.
From the moment Stan appears, Callinan’s skill as a character performer is obvious. Every detail feels considered, from the physicality of an ageing body trying to stay independent to the stubborn pride that drives much of the story. The laughs come steadily, often from small, recognisable moments rather than big punchlines.
The running thread through this show is Stan’s dearly departed wife Denise’s souvenir spoon collection – 988 of them – which all have memories attached to them. Stan doesn’t want to leave the spoon collection behind if he has to move into a care home. The spoon collection is a symbol of memory, attachment and identity, and Callinan uses it cleverly to explore what people hold onto as life starts to shift around them.
It’s a one-man-show, and Callinan gives a layered performance as he plays Stan and several other characters – telling the story of what inevitably happens to a lot of older people when they may not be able to stay in their own homes anymore, and may need to move to an aged care facility.
There’s a risk with shows about ageing and loss that they tip too far into sentimentality, but Callinan keeps things grounded. The humour is warm without being soft, and the emotional beats feel earned rather than forced.
Spoons shows what Callinan does best: character-driven storytelling that sits somewhere between theatre and stand-up. It’s thoughtful, funny and quietly affecting. This is a topic that can be very grim and heavy, but Spoons brings a lot of joy. I’ve recently lost my own mother after she spent 2.5 years in aged care with dementia and I felt it tackled the subject matter so well, with a few tears rolling down my cheeks at the end.
Spoons is playing at the Members Lounge in The Arts Centre Melbourne until 5 April (no show Monday). Tickets at comedy festival.com.au
