The Drowsy Chaperone - Stirling Players (23 November 2024)

At one point deep into The Drowsy Chaperone, Man in Chair opines that musical theatre is the antidote to all that may be troubling you in the real world, if only temporarily. In this he is absolutely correct and this show is Exhibit A. Like our fourth wall breaking narrator, I was feeling a little blue going in. Throughout, I laughed as hard as I have in some time and came out feeling rejuvenated and back to my old self.

This is the second time I've seen a production of Drowsy after WAAPA's exceptional 2016 effort. It's fair to say it's one of my favourite musicals and director Kimberley Shaw and the Stirling Players have done it justice in a breezy and very funny incarnation. It's a bright and witty confection of a musical that is a real treat because of how joyously meta and over-the-top it is.

The tone is immediately established by Ben Clarke as Man in Chair in a fabulous performance. I hadn't come across Clarke before so the suggestion in the lobby beforehand about his version being a little different had me intrigued. That unique 'take' is initially masked as the show opens with him situated stage right in darkness, unsurprisingly to those paying attention... in an armchair. His opening salvo as he addresses the audience is wonderfully cheeky as he wonders if the show will be too long, if there will be - gasp - audience interaction, and if they're ever going to turn the lights on. The audience laughs because these are things we all wonder when we take our seats for any show.

When the lights do come up I quickly understand how this Man in Chair is indeed a little different. Clarke has learnt all his lines after they were translated into braille. There's a hint of improvisation, later confirmed by the director, however it's such an engaging turn that it matters nary a jot. He has us in the palm of his hands as the character provides a running commentary on the show within a show. 

The conceit is that Man in Chair is listening to his favourite 1928 musical on a record player and by doing so magically summons the characters to life on stage. There are all sorts of clever shenanigans that disrupt or halt the show including his need to offer facts about each fictional actor playing each fictional part; his favourite songs and the ones that don't quite work; and how musicals function in general. It's smart writing drolly executed which is irresistible to music theatre lovers. 

The story itself is about the impending marriage of Robert Martin (Max Leunig) to star of the stage Janet Van De Graaf (Danielle Battista) and all those who have a vested interest in that marriage not going ahead including Broadway producer Mr Feldzieg (Ben Mullings) who doesn't want to lose his star attraction. There are a couple of gangsters disguised as pastry chefs (Emily Botje and Lukas Perez) who heavy Feldzieg; the absent-minded hostess Mrs Tottendale (Megan Kelly) and her Underling (Benn Austin); Robert's Best Man, George (Oliver Temby); and Kitty (Ciara Malone), a scatter-brained ingenue with her sights set on replacing Janet. 

Then there's the most unlikely of pairings in self-proclaimed Latin lover, Aldolpho (Christian Dichiera) and the Drowsy Chaperone herself played by Sonni Byrne who is far more interested in a tipple or three than shepherding Janet away from her betrothed on their special day. It's a musical so of course the marriage goes ahead... and the other marriage... and the other one... oh, and there's one more for good measure. Conducted by the most unlikely of 'ministers' in Trix, the Aviatrix (Tashlin Church). 

The performances are excellent in terms of comic timing, a willingness to play big when called for (often), fun choreography by Jordon D'Arcy executed with flair, and some real chutzpah to the vocals. Battista grows in stature as the story unfolds and makes for a vibrant and emotionally fraught Janet with Show Off an early highlight and Bride's Lament an unhinged fantasy sequence that is likely to haunt my waking nightmares for some time! I'm a sucker for a tap dance routine so Cold Feets led by Leunig and Temby is another highlight. In fact the whole musical is constructed as one marvellous set piece after the other with the linking narration by Man in Chair.  

Botje and Perez get to play shtick whilst delivering groanworthy pastry puns and a Toledo Surprise. Mullings and Malone form a screwball partnership with the latter bouncing all over the place with ditzy energy. Byrne and Dichiera are another combination that comes to life with gusto while Austin plays the straight man to Kelly's antics including the spit take sequence which is hilariously magnified by the height disparity between them.

Suitably, it's all presented as a brightly lit, fabulously costumed fairy tale that uses the full depth of the Stirling Theatre stage - Lighting Design by John Woolrych, Set Design by Wayne Herring with Costumes by Lyn Hutcheon. The 15 piece Orchestra under Musical Director Isabella Bourgault play the wonderful score with style off in a side room. They initially overwhelmed the start of the opening narration but Sound Operator Kieran Ridgway quickly adjusted the balance and it was spot on after that. 

This is a gloriously fun show. Music theatre lovers will adore it but it's easily accessible to anyone who loves witty writing, larger than life performances, and a joyous vibe. The Drowsy Chaperone is on at the Stirling Theatre until 7 December. 

Evil Dead The Musical - Wanneroo Repertory (2 May 2024)

It would be fair to say I didn't quite know what to expect as I travelled northwards to a secluded theatre in the woods hoping to be distracted from the evils of modern life. Little did I imagine what malevolent forces awaited me from aggressive foliage, foul mouthed demons, and deadly kitchen utensils to all manner of shenanigans with critters and a chainsaw. Sure, I had seen the movie the musical is based on when I was back in, ahem, high school but how could such a horror classic be converted into an all singing, all slaying stage production? 

Well, the answer turned out to be a gloriously ingenious and over-the-top homage/parody of the first two Evil Dead movies and this sort of horror fare in general. I happily cackled my way throughout the show adding to the raucous response of the audience who lapped up the excess, the fake gore, and a production that revelled in its many eccentricities. 

The scene is set with a marvellous representation of the Necronomicon - The Book of the Dead - which only goes to show that reading can be bad for you, especially when it summons demons! Our intrepid college students - Ash (Luke Miller), Cheryl (Escher Roe), Scott (Jordan Richards), Linda (Ellie Coburn), and Shelly (Naomi Capon) discover the book and a tape recording of a translation in a cabin deep in the woods. Mayhem ensues. The second act loosely incorporates elements of the sequel whereby Annie (Capon), her assistant Ed (Max Leunig), with the aid of Jake (Clayton Van Dijk) travel to the cabin only to join in said mayhem.  

First time director Kieran Ridgway has presented a technically inventive production with flair and energy that shows a deep love and understanding of the source material. Everything is dialled up to eleven but the zaniness never gets (too) out of hand and is in service of mining the inherent absurdities of the premise to maximum effect. 

The cabin set (design by Luke Miller and 'Cast & Crew') is not only visually on point but conceals so many secrets that are a delight to watch as they burst into action in all sorts of ways. The woods are represented by evocative flats and, in one of the most notorious scenes from the movie, brooding tree-clad actors. Notably, there is prominent use of a trap door at the front of the stage. 

The multitude of props (Sean Wcislo, Astro Stewart, Coralie Steward & Teah Steward) is impressive with Ash's chainsaw perhaps the most famous. There is also hilarious use of puppetry with one reveal surprising the hell out of me, much to my mirth. SFX Mask Designer Kylana McIntosh and Costume Designer Stella Sawyer present a range of looks for the demons which cleverly deconstructs their human clothing and appearance. There's even a running gag about the sort of gratuitous costume choices often made in horror movies for the heroine. 

The mood and look of the show is enhanced by excellent lighting design by Shelly Miller - I particularly liked the 'portal effect' as the demons are vanquished - and Sound Design by Chris McRae. The sounds of the forest and the whispers of the demons ("Join us!") are contrasted with a lot of shrieking by, particularly, Roe's demon but we rarely lose clarity in what must have been a tricky balance to get right.

Then there's the four piece band under Musical Director Jasper Cruden who's also on keys. The Limelight Theatre has the advantage of using a pit so the rock score didn't overly intrude on the vocals. Cruden is joined by Ian Tassicker on drums/percussion, Chris Ingram on bass, and Chris Johnston on guitar who supplied many tasty licks throughout. 

To the performances and the cast excelled in delineating their human characters from the demonic versions. Everyone had a chance to shine so here are some highlights:

The show takes off with the song Look Who's Evil Now where Roe's buttoned down Cheryl transforms into a demonic heckler that would make Statler & Waldorf blush as she pops up from the trap door throughout the show to harangue our heroes. It's a full-throated performance that Roe revels in. What The Fuck Was That? is the hilarious response by Miller and Richards; the former increasingly becoming the hero of proceedings with a bravura physical sequence where he fights himself to uproarious effect. Richards has his own deftly timed comic sequence involving all the entrails one can carry.

Van Dijk wows the audience with Good Old Reliable Jake in a go big or go home performance that would terrify the locals in Deliverance and has a hint of Vincent D'Onofrio from Men in Black. Max Leunig's Ed has an ongoing bit with Capon's Annie that is like the The Upside Down version of Amos from Chicago which is paid off with a delightfully perverse mutation of Mister Cellophane in Bit-Part Demon. He was about to get his Razzle Dazzle on but sorry Ed, no starring parts for you!

Capon gets to be a true triple threat - playing the vacuous Shelly in the first half; the demon version of said tag along girlfriend; then the seemingly brilliant daughter of the archaeologist who started this whole mess, Annie, who has an unfortunate and persistent wardrobe malfunction. Capon balances all these contradictions, costume and wig changes with style; her starring number being All the Men in My Life Keep Getting Killed by Kandarian Demons. 

Coburn plays Linda with a sweetness that belies the craziness around her until she too gets her freak on with some demonic possession. Then there's Alyssa Burton who has such a bizarre cameo as Fake Shemp that I was howling with disbelief of the what did I just witness variety?

Shout-outs to choreographer Breanne Lucas, especially for the big dance number Do the Necronomicon, and fight choreographer Kyren Cleave for the finale where Ash kicks demon butt. 

I really enjoyed the large performances, the intricacies of the staging, the musical accompaniment, the running gags and sight gags, and the commitment to this crazy world of demonic possession. One thing I didn't expect was to laugh so much but this was truly funny and a most entertaining evening of theatre.

Evil Dead The Musical is on at the Limelight Theatre in Wanneroo until 11 May.  

The Trail To Oregon! - Art In Motion Theatre Company (28 October 2023)

The great westward expansion was one of the pivotal events in mid-19th century America as hundreds of thousands of settlers forged a path to the Pacific coast. One of these Emigrant Trails typically started in Missouri and wound its way thousands of kilometres to Oregon. It was a hazardous journey that, in many ways, defined the character of a young nation. Those brave souls had many obstacles to face - bandits, harsh weather, starvation, disease, wagons with octagonal wheels, deformed oxen, aggressive hand puppets, um, vengeful crustaceans, the whims of a capricious God, and, of course, dysentery. Oh, and a particularly savage and bloodthirsty race known only as The Watchers. It's a wonder any of them survived!

Yes, this comedy musical, based on a video game, takes some basic facts and runs wild with exaggeration and absurdity. It follows a family - surname chosen by the audience, in this case the Spareparts - whose farm has burned down so purchase a wagon in Independence, Missouri to head west to Oregon. The family unit comprises the Father (Mathew Leak), Mother (Lukas Perez), 7 year old Son (Verity Lux), 14 year old Daughter (Brittany Isaia), and Grandpa (Max Leunig), all named by the audience with great enthusiasm. We had a Yo Mama, Woody Woodpecker, Screw Loose, and Seymour Butts while the father's *name was probably an inside joke I didn't quite catch and seemed to change slightly on each utterance. These were incorporated into lyrics and dialogue with generally amusing effect. Riley Merigan plays a variety of characters they encounter on the way, notably the bandit McDoon.

At first I didn't quite know what to make of what was going on. The volume of the performers' mics was quite loud to compete with the onstage band so a lot of the expository lyrics were hard to catch in the early going. The humour was broad to say the least and it was all being played way over the top. Then it started to win me over as I realised what type of show it was and for this main reason - the talented cast was one hundred percent committed to the bit. Anything less and this could have devolved into a slog but they sold the hell out of the craziness with no shortage of charm and, at the end, considerable bravery. 

They were well supported by the cowboy-hat-wearing band who were all visible, corralled behind a wooden fence. There was also a bit of a home crowd feel to the audience who cheered on approvingly so I settled into a night of entertaining silliness. It also helped that the story vaguely reminded me of that great, quirky road trip movie Little Miss Sunshine where a fixated father and practical mother travel to California in a broken-down VW van with their starry-eyed daughter, withdrawn son, and crotchety grandfather. In this analogy Steve Carell is the... ah, blind and horny ox pulling the wagon (sorry, Steve). 

Every performer gets a moment to shine, whether it's Leak extolling the virtues of the journey ahead in The Grind or trying to woo Mother before the portentous Dysentery World; Perez dishing out homespun practicality and sass whilst also delivering the vocal highlight of the show with their solo When The World's At Stake; Leunig leading the cast in the whacky first act highlight Pays To Be An Animal; or Lux, displaying deft comic timing throughout, plunging headlong into the show closer Naked In A Lake where the cast strip down to tan bodysuits and tights as the second part of perhaps the zaniest ending you'll ever witness in a musical. 

The first part of that ending involves the audience selecting the fate of one of the family members. On this night it was Isaia who was tapped to perform a, shall we say, breezy and theatrically aromatic tour de force that saw her throw herself around the stage with the threat of wardrobe malfunctions aplenty. Isaia also has a strong vocal moment at the start of the second act with Lost Without You. Then there's Merigan who is the spare parts man extraordinaire to this Spareparts family. Forget dressing up as Barbie, Ken or Oppenheimer for Halloween... if you're not rocking a full-size Lobster costume (which genuinely had me in stitches) or Ox outfit you're simply not doing it right. Merigan chomps his way through the scenery with a bevy of villains and bizarre characters the family encounters.

The band under Musical Director Joshua Hollander plays an integral part in keeping the tempo upbeat, even rocketing the second act along with the frenetic Speedrun. As befits the mostly mid-west country vibes, it's a guitar (Sam Michael; Erin Steicke, bass) and banjo (Kieran Ridgway) driven score that's a jaunty accompaniment to the antics right in front of them. Hollander and Jennifer Phan play piano with Dylan Boxwell on drums and an uncredited saxophone player makes a cameo when Father is in the mood for lurve. 

Director Micheal Carroll allows plenty of room for the cast to "go big" with a sparse set and uncomplicated props including the practical simplicity of the wagon itself. Production Assistants Stella Sawyer and Tashlin Church create effective costumes for the family members with some memorable flourishes utilised for various creatures and villains. Sophie David enhances the eclectic nature of the family members with idiosyncratic choreography that favoured energy over technique. 

In all it's a boisterous show that doesn't shy away from its inherent silliness and one that the cast seemed to enjoy immensely with several corpsing alerts along the way. The audience also had a blast the night I was there and, I admit, I was heartily laughing along to the absurdity. A fun night at the theatre. 

*after inadvertent digital snooping I believe the name bestowed upon Father was Hatsune Miku who is - quick Google search - a 16 year old 'virtual idol'... okay then. *checks notes* I guess I was close with Hotsuemekoo (blank stare).