Zombie! The Musical – REVIEW
Image: Ensemble in ZOMBIE! THE MUSICAL at Hayes Theatre. Photo credit: John McRae
Be afraid, be very afraid…of being completely blown away. Zombie! The Musical is a diabolically witty, devilishly funny, demonically clever and frightfully entertaining show that will thrill you to the bone.
Zombie! is the third offering from the brilliant mind of young Australian composer/writer, Laura Murphy, who is on a near vertical trajectory to musical theatre apotheosis. Combining the cheesy elements of schlock horror with the even cheesier world of amateur theatre, Zombie! tells the semi-fictional tale of a world facing an apocalyptic threat from the undead, untalented, and un-woke.
The production features a magnificent cast and crew, fantastic songs and a storyline that should make it appeal to absolutely everybody in the whole wide world (that’s an in-joke).
The play opens with a digital clock projected onto the curtain spinning us back to 1999: the internet was merely a novelty for geeks; the device in everyone’s palms was the not-at-all smart Nokia 3310; and Y2K launched a nauseating trend of alpha-numeric acronyms.
In a small community hall, a group of actors completely deluded about their talent are rehearsing It’s a Musical! (The Musical), an extremely derivative show, written and currently being painstakingly directed by George (Drew Livingston), who takes himself much too seriously. His leading lady is the wide-eyed and pretty, Felicity (Stefanie Jones) who longs for a role she can sink her teeth into (yes, there are puns aplenty).
Sam (Natalie Abbott) is Felicity’s bestie and is every bit as talented but not as conventionally attractive. She is acquiescent and overly accommodating, yet she can’t smother her burning ambition to be a star.
Hope (Chelsea Dawson) is a dancer whose main function is having a name that lends itself to an endless stream of wordplay. She is hopelessly smitten with leading man, Dave (Ryan Gonzalez) who has the personality and acting skills of half a brick, yet has somehow been selected to star in a mainstage production of Rent.
Hope’s aunty, Carol (Tamsin Carroll) a hoofer and seasoned community theatre thespian brings a touch of class and professionalism and a heavy-handed slap of hamminess to the troupe. Carroll is, as ever, completely owns the stage and is a delight to watch. She has two stand-out moments: an hilarious homage to vintage Broadway styled around Carol Channing, and a genuinely poignant ballet sequence that brought many in the audience close to tears.
Monique Sallé is a perpetual surprise bundle on stage. She plays the suspiciously goth-looking Mila in the community ensemble and is one of the earliest characters to test positive to zombie, after which she returns in many guises. Her other predominant character is Dr Von Schreiber, a combination of campy German mad scientist and authoritative pandemic spokesperson.
Trace (Nancy Denis) is one of the few constants in the show — practical, reliable, always on hand with a drill. Trace introduces the debate about whether these flesh-eating creatures are actually zombies or ghouls. It’s a meta moment, since Denis, is of Haitian descent, from whence the zombie folklore originates.
The opening number of It’s a Musical! is the first of many easter eggs for fans of early Broadway/Hollywood musicals. It features three sailors (Denis, Abbott, Sallé) singing about New York, a clear nod to On The Town – and it is bad. The next number, “He Does It Because He Loves Me” is even worse, but for a different reason. As is immediately evident in the title, it references the long held understanding of male dominance/violence as a subverted form of love.
By using the zombie pandemic as a metaphor, Murphy explores social responses to fear and threat in a wider context: the way the zombies are treated, the various theories about “cures”, how those yet un-afflicted can still be changed, the ability by some to ignore clear and present danger in favour of their own agenda, to wit, putting on a show.
The outstanding ensemble on stage are a joy to watch, but the success of this production is the result of a clearly inspired, cohesive creative team. Darren Yap, the director, orchestrates his cast so that each has brilliant solo moments but also work harmoniously, in counterpoint, and even sometimes in effective discord, together.
Chiara Assetta’s choreography is intuitive, punctuating punchlines with a matching gesture and perfectly complementing the various genres of the songs.
The set design by Nick Fry is versatile and efficient, as well as striking the right aesthetic for each progression of plot. Old movie posters, moving furniture, and various other devices, combined with Verity Hampson’s commensurate lighting, help create moments of hilarity and horror, as well as breathless beauty.
Esther Zhong’s costumes help tell the story of each character, as well as being little references, puns, and visual treats in themselves.
Any fan of the horror genre knows a film lives or dies by the power of its sound track and Zombie! definitely lives (and dies, but on purpose) by the deft sound design of David Grigg. Many a joke is predicated on the perfect timing and production of a sound effect, and they all land.
Zombie! The Musical is a little bit gory, a little bit crass, a little bit imperfect, but it is a lot hilarious, entertaining, and joyful to watch…even with Richard Wilkins in it (another in-joke).
