The Marvellous Elephant Man – REVIEW
Image: THE MARVELLOUS ELEPHANT MAN. Photo: Paul Scott
The Marvellous Elephant Man is audacious, rambunctious, colourful and utterly without scruples. It’s a crazy, fast-paced pantomime filled with punchy one-liners, fun songs, deliciously histrionic performances and very blue humour, although it very likely strays onto the wrong side of good taste when it comes to the subject matter.
The musical is loosely (very) based on the true story of Joseph Merrick who was born in 1862 and lived for a mere 27 years due to a rare condition that left him with extreme physical deformities which earned him the unkind moniker, “the elephant man”. His story has been told in films, TV shows, and books and has entered popular culture. Many people are familiar with either the actual photos of Merrick or the theatrically reproduced depictions of him.
In this musical production, Merrick has not been given any prosthetic enhancements at all. Instead he appears with a strange white coating on his skin and ragged clothes.
The choice not to depict Merrick with any of the well-recognised deformities is questionable. Yes, it circumvents any unintentionally comical special effects make-up and yes, it allows audiences to relate to Merrick as a real person, not a freak. On the other hand, it unfairly gives licence to the unmitigated mockery because we don’t actually see, and therefore don’t acknowledge, Merrick’s debilitating disability.
The show is at times, hilarious, with witty lyrics, toe-tapping, hand-clapping tunes, breathlessly risqué jokes (if you speak Italian you’re in for a real treat/shock with one particular song), simple but effective production elements and entertaining choreography. At other times, it’s a little too much.
Marc Lucchesi, who co-wrote the show (with Sarah and Jayan Nandagopan), plays the Ringleader and several other characters. He is boyishly charismatic and pushes the action along a little like the MC in Cabaret.
Kanen Breen is a villainous, boo-evoking Dr Frederick Treves. Breen delivers great vocal, facial and physical comedy and knows how to play a crowd.
Annelise Hall is the Disney-esque Nurse Hope, the love-interest of Dr Treves who is more interested in Merrick. Hall is iridescent on stage, aware that she is a typecast golden-haired heroine and playing it with a kind of knowing wink. Her voice is glass-like in clarity and sheen.
Ben Clark plays Merrick as wide-eyed, cowering, vulnerable. He is almost inconsequential on stage – until he sings. Clark has a powerful, gorgeous voice that repeatedly evokes cheers of appreciation from the audience mid-song.
The ensemble including: Eleanor MacIntyre, Rebecca Rolle, Sam Harmon, Lachlan Barlett, Krystal Myer, and Gavin James create a wonderful roster of characters who pad and spice and sweeten the action.
This show is really, really funny (if you enjoy toilet humour) and at the same time, offensive at a level that is tone-deaf to current social consciousness.
