Carol

$5.40 – $15.00Price range: $5.40 through $15.00

Carol is a darkly funny and deeply human story about a woman navigating grief, pride, and the quiet unraveling of a life she once held together — all wrapped inside a big, brassy Christmas show, with an Aussie Santa pulling the audience through the chaos.

After the death of her husband, Carol loses the family home and, unable to secure another rental, finds herself living in her old Kombi van. Determined to maintain a sense of normalcy, she hides her situation from her son and those around her, clinging to the identity of the capable, generous matriarch she has always been.

As Christmas approaches, the gap between Carol’s reality and the life she pretends to lead becomes harder to sustain. Between tinsel, carols and forced cheer, the truth keeps slipping through. Through encounters with a young security guard, a grief support group, and the steady presence of late-night radio, Carol is pushed to confront her isolation, her pride, and what “home” really means.

Balancing sharp humour with emotional honesty, Carol explores housing insecurity, ageing, and invisibility, while asking what it takes to accept help, and whether dignity can survive when everything else is stripped away.

In the end, Carol must decide whether to keep hiding or to be seen.