Part dusty highway journey, part fantastical adventure, Mary Anne Butler’s Highway of Lost Hearts won’t have you saying ‘are we there yet’ but rather ‘the journey is the destination.’

Mot wakes up one morning to find that her heart is missing from her chest. She can breathe; she has a pulse — but she feels… nothing. So, she decides to go and look for it. With her dog enlisted as co-pilot, Mot heads down the Highway of Lost Hearts: into the deepest core of the Australian outback — navigating red dirt landscapes, fire and flood, brittle dryness, vast salt lakes, age-old mountains and murky waters filled with lost souls.

With her untamed curly hair and practical singlet, trousers and an open button down shirt, Kate Smith’s Mot is the picture of summer road trip practicality. Her demeanour gives off burned out and cynical, her tone dry and slightly flat when we meet her, yet Smith imbues in her a precious kernel of hope that sees her through the trials and challenges of solo van life and uncertain times.

Direction by Adam Deusien emphasises Mot’s surroundings not by creating a mini desert or bush, but by celebrating the simplicity is city-dwellers imagine travelling those tiny roadside towns dotted throughout rural and far rural Australia to be. Mot is quite starkly isolated on stage, separated even from the musicians by thin curtains. She is truly alone on her quest, with just the few bits and bobs she needs to keep one woman and her dog safe and moving. I must also give an honourable mention here to the character of Mot’s dog, whom Smith brings to life through her performance even without a stage partner to portray them.

An original score by Central West duo Smith & Jones underpins Mot’s story, a visual portrayal of the spirituality innate to the Australian outback, and that ultimately is what leads Mot to the lost pieces of her heart. At times jovial and folksy, others hauntingly introspective, Smith and Jones’ harmonies are a transcendent experience in themselves.

Find out more about Highway of Lost Hearts here.

Lagrein | Wine Pairing

Pronounced La-grain, this varietal is the perfect accompaniment for a road trip to find yourself – robust and richly flavoured like Shiraz, but a little lighter and more easy-drinking.

Highway of Lost Hearts, Lingua Franca and Arts on Tour, Riverside Theatre | Tasting Notes

Aussie Season	17 to 18 June 2024, Riverside Theatre
Writer	Mary Anne Butler
Director	Adam Deusien
Theatre Type & Genre	Drama
See it if you like	Upright
Wine Pairing	Lagrein
Criteria for Wine Pairing	rich and light