Evie May

When the lights go up on this new Australian musical, there’s a sense of maturity - Sydney’s Hayes Theatre is now producing premieres of variety and accomplishment rarely seen in this country before. Evie May, a fictional story based around the long-gone Tivoli vaudeville circuit, is a complex work that starts slow and is not always successful. But when it hits its stride, this show nails it. Some of the music and writing is superb - and it’s given the best start possible with a brilliant production.

The maturity comes from various directions - a stellar cast, fronted by the amazing Amanda Harrison and some newer talent too. The director Kate Champion, who founded dance theatre company Force Majeure, does not put a foot wrong either. She gets the utmost out of the cast with clear, confident staging, imaginative use of the small space and spot-on choreography. And Steven Kreamer deserves credit for his tight musical direction in an acoustically challenged theatre.

Evie May looks back at another time - the 1930s to 60s - telling the story of a Tivoli star, how she got there and how her stage career ends. But it also feels modern - a work where the men are in supporting roles to strong female characters and where people are forced to be honest and show their flaws.

Hugo Chiarella has written a robust book, structured around an older Evie looking back at her life and with plot twists that keep the audience engaged. It starts slow - as is often the case for a musical, the first half-hour is the most challenging - and would benefit from some revisions. But it takes off when Naomi Livingston’s songs strengthen: “Life of a Woman”, performed by the astonishing Bishanyia Vincent, marks a turning point. “They Say I am Too Young”, “Great Australian Digger”and “One Last Chance” are also beautiful. “Forgetful Sod” is a brilliant, funny opening to the second act too - at moments like this, the show is right on target.

Vincent plays various characters, all with aplomb (and an amazing talent for various Australian accents). She almost upstages Harrison - but Harrison is so good, that’s hard to achieve. The other star is Loren Hunter, who plays a younger Evie/ Evelyn. Like Harrison, she brings spunk to her role and gives this woman an irresistible energy. Hunter also has a beautiful voice. The fact that it’s difficult to decide who’s the best says a lot about the talent here (and the way they’re directed).

Developed by the Hayes incubator program New Musicals Australia, Evie May is a fine work that that should be developed further. It shows great potential for the industry. But ultimately, it’s a niche show that’s unlikely to appeal to a broad audience.

It now feels that the Hayes (and some other companies) are producing Australian musicals that can be compared to what you’d see off-Broadway or in other countries. Creative, varied and with loads of talent - that’s worth applauding.

Peter Gotting

Photographer: Nik Damianakis