This wonderful Australian premiere of the musical THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROODis not a little gem – it’s a BIG gem. With a cast of 14 and a five piece band, the fun and fantastic singing goes for an intense two and half hours. The musical is based on Charles Dicken’s last novel – unfinished and the murderer not revealed. Charles died before he wrote the final chapter. For a century scholars have debated how it might have ended, but the creatives have solved the mystery for us.
The musical was originally a 2012 British television adaptation of the 1870 novel adapted with a new ending. Then the show was adapted for New York’s Broadway. Now, Australia’s Little Triangle theatre company has grasped the project and turned it into something yet again – a ridiculously fun who-done-it with an upbeat ending. There is exceptional singing and precision timing of the gags. Let’s hope there are a bevy of theatrical agents in the audience to see these 14 terrific performers. The leads are Ren McMeikin, Zachary Aleksander and Phoebe Clark.
The story is a play within a play. Rehearsals are about to start for the production of the musical. The stage manager interrupts the rehearsal from time to time. The aspiring young walk-on tries to steal lines, the director stands in the aisle and gives orders, a tap dancer thought it was a tap show and tap dances through some scenes. But you never lose the plot despite all the hilarity of shady characters, cocaine users, jealous relatives, a body hidden in the crypt, a business in Egypt and twins arriving from Ceylon.
Perhaps there is a tad too much ridiculousness. Perhaps it is a tad too long. But it’s a fun outing. The happiness of making theatre comes through very LOUD and mostly clear.
Book by Charles Dickens
Music and lyrics by Rupert Holmes
Broadway production by the New York Shakespeare Festival
The Little Triangle team:
DIRECTOR & DESIGNER Alexander Andrews
MUSIC DIRECTOR Andy Freeborn
PRODUCER Rose McClelland
BAND – DRUMS Austin Hall
BAND – REED Renae Goodman
The Reginald Theatre, Seymour Centre, Sydney
Dates July 7 – 16, 2022
Performance Times Tue – Sat, 7:30pm, Sat, 2:00pm
Prices From $45*
Review by Carol Dance
Featured image : The cast and crew of in ‘The Mystery Of Edwin Drood’. All pics by Clare Hawley
This is not the Australian premiere; there have been several productions over the years, at least two of them in Sydney.
“The Mystery of Edwin Drood” with book, music and lyrics by Rupert Holmes started at the Delacorte Theater in New York’s Central Park in August 1985 and transferred to Broadway in December 1985 where it won five Tony Awards including Best Musical.
There WAS a 2012 BBC production of the original novel which had nothing to do with the musical.
However, that same year, the musical was revived at
the Arts Theatre in London.
It was subsequently revived on Broadway by the Roundabout Theatre Company at Studio 54 in November 2012.