Australian-born singer and songwriter Tracey Yarad brings her years of musical prowess and beautiful voice to the stage in this raw and unfiltered account of her decade-long journey recovering from a bitter divorce, and her journey to rebuild her life in the wake of a terrible betrayal.
How do we pick up the pieces of a broken life and find salvation through the darkest of times? For Tracey, the answers do not come easy. Her husband’s affair with their goddaughter and the breakdown of their marriage shortly thereafter leaves her in heartbreak and disillusionment. The content is shocking and hard to digest in a hand any less capable than Tracey’s. Her story is by all accounts a shocking and difficult subject to tell, and it is nigh impossible to not feel moved. A dry eye in the audience there was not. And yet, the story is filled with quiet dignity and poise combined with warm humour and grace. This is not a woman who wants your pity, but rather a woman finding hope at the end of what feels like insurmountable suffering.
The production is deliberately minimalist, with a piano in the corner the main centrepiece. Between her spoken recollections, Tracey’s original music recounts tales of loving times spent together with her now ex, her adventures in Japan, and her unfiltered despair in the wake of the affair. Accompanying the piano music is a slideshow documenting her marriage from its humble beginnings to its harrowing end. A collection of photographs, artworks, and original animation stands as a testament to shared dreams and emotions. As the story progresses, Tracey’s perception of paraphernalia from her house shifts; antique collectables, once treasures she could share within a loving home, become sad reminders of love lost.
Tracey exudes magnetic charm and effortless charisma on stage. Dressed in her wedding dress (now dyed a brilliant black), her stage presence is warm and her vulnerability is palpable. Every stage of her tale is raw, authentic and deeply personal. Her final arc in particular, where she recounts her move to New York and the inspiration that follows the fallout of her divorce, is a testament to the power of art to heal. Ultimately she shares an all too important message about finding yourself and rebuilding your idea of what and where “home” can be. Anyone who has ever been scorned by a loved one will find catharsis and recognition in Tracey’s memoir.
Inspiring by all accounts and wonderful in execution, All These Pretty Things is a beautiful tale of redemption and acceptance, a piano-fuelled romp that turns tragedy into rapturous delight.
5/5 FIVE STARS