THE CHOCOLATE ROSTER

BY BROOKE ROBINSON

“I know how you feel about praline, but not your son.”

In the small regional NSW town of Dorewick, Toni and Jane have set up a support group for mothers who’ve lost children to suicide. They meet weekly above the local pub, to share their experiences and a rotating selection of chocolate.

But numbers are falling, and Toni has resorted to subterfuge to boost membership: she’s started promoting the group as a social meet-up for childless women over thirty. When prospective new member Eliza arrives, hoping for fun outings, she soon finds herself trapped in a lie, inventing a dead daughter to fit in. However, the truth comes out, and the group implodes in a storm of resentment and recriminations.

It takes a freak accident for the women to band together to overcome their differences and find the purpose and friendship they’ve sought all along.

This warm, moving, gently funny new Australian play balances darkness and truth to present a very honest portrayal of community and healing. 

World premiere, produced by New Theatre