Marvellous Elephant Man Green Room Nominations

Ahead of the Green Room Awards, Melbourne's top honours in the performing arts scene, Mark Hamilton toasts the success of The Marvellous Elephant Man the Musical, which has attracted a cult following and sold over 16,000 tickets.

When it comes to indie musicals, few have captured my attention and imagination quite like The Marvellous Elephant Man. From its humble beginnings at the Melbourne Jazz lab to its impressive rise to popular acclaim, this comedic tour de force has now been honoured with three prestigious Green Room Award nominations, not to mention an intimidating number of 5 star reviews. I was thrilled to catch up with the creative minds behind this phenomenon to discuss their journey, the show's unique appeal, and what the future holds.

Promoted as an irreverent and inaccurate retelling of the life of John Merrick, otherwise known as the Elephant Man, the story follows a young man’s journey from misery and squalor to self-acceptance and even romantic love, guided by the gift of ‘Hope’, his appropriately named love interest.

Unlike anything currently in the theatre landscape, it offers a refreshingly original reimagining on the (loosely speaking) true story, combining comedy, a poignant narrative, and a dizzying variety of musical genres, all without resorting to the kind of self aware politic correctness that so often characterises contemporary productions. 

Annelise Hall as Nurse Hope - credit Paul Scott

This approach has not only set the stage alight but has also resonated deeply with audiences across Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney following its 2022 Melbourne Comedy Festival debut. But don’t just take my word for it, according to the Canberra Critics Circle, “The Marvellous Elephant Man the Musical is a humdinger of a show just waiting for a commercial entrepreneur to pick it up and make it the next big thing in Australian musicals. This is a marvellous show just ready to make it to the big stage. A five-star, not-to-be-missed hit if it ever comes your way.”

And the Adelaide Critics Circle “It's irreverent, exquisitely inaccurate, and laugh-and-cry-out loud. We critics think that those who saw this great production in Adelaide will say, one day, "We were there." This is a show with a long life ahead of it. Congratulations!”

With over 16,000 tickets sold, the show's success culminated in winning the Adelaide Critics Circle award at the Adelaide Fringe Festival 2023. Nominated for Best New Writing for an Indie Musical and two Best Lead Awards for an Indie Musical at the prestigious Green Room Awards, the team is humbled and excited by its reception.

“A surprising number of audience members have travelled to all three cities to attend the show which still blows my mind. I’m not talking about friends or family, I mean complete strangers who fell in love with the show in Adelaide.” Remarked Co-Director and Producer, Chris Mitchell, on the show’s unexpected popularity.

The Elephant Man (Ben Clark) squares up against the Apex Predator - credit Paul Scott

"Both reviewers and fans have compared us to so many fantastic cult productions, which is incredibly flattering. It seems there's a little something in our show to appeal to almost everyone."continued Co-Writer/Musical Director Sarah Nanadagopan.

ABC Radio Smart Arts called it "The Book of Mormon meets Beauty and the Beast, f#@%ing Rocky Horror Picture Show, seducing Young Frankenstein, as told by Billy Connolly!”, which makes sense considering the team’s creative influences. “We were inspired by icons like 80s SNL, Ben Elton, Mel Brooks, that kind of thing. So to hear that our creation has resonated with people who love the stuff we love is just so motivating”, said Co-Writer Jayan Nanadagopan.

“To be honest, musicals were never really our thing”, admits Co-Writer and Lead Performer Marc Lucchessi. “We started out making songs that made us laugh, we had no realistic plans to ever write a musical. We drank cheap wine in Jay and Sarah's 2-bedroom apartment, laughing all night. We only started writing stuff down because we thought maybe our friends might laugh at it too."

One can’t help but feel this contributes to the show’s authentic yet unorthodox tone. In fact everything about this show has the feeling of a cult classic in the making. Richard O’Brien wrote “Rocky Horror” to entertain himself in the same way, and look how that turned out.

With a creative team as accomplished as this it’s not hard to see why the elements of the show are so well crafted. Indie film director Christopher HF Mitchell was joined by Olivier Award winning West End and Broadway co-director Guy Masterson. Sarah has spent time performing as a pianist in New York for Broadway audition rooms, Jayan has performed with some of the biggest names in music including Ray Charles, James Morrison, and Alice Cooper, and Marc is the beloved frontman for popular Melbourne-based funk band Vaudeville Smash. 

Marc Lucchesi as Ring Master with ensemble credit Paul Scott.

With eyes now set on international stages, the team is eager to share their indie masterpiece with the world. Their journey from Spiegeltent stages in Australia to potential global acclaim is a narrative of ambition, creativity, and the universal language of music and laughter.

My sentiments mirror those expressed in the Sydney Arts Guide: "When this musical is shown on Broadway, in the West End, and closer to home in our larger theatres, I will be so glad I got to be a part of its humble beginnings, on a small round stage in a big-top tent at the Entertainment Quarter."

With a creative team as accomplished as this it’s not hard to see why the elements of the show are so well crafted. Indie film director Christopher HF Mitchell was joined by Olivier Award winning West End and Broadway co-director Guy Masterson. Sarah has spent time performing as a pianist in New York for Broadway audition rooms, Jayan has performed with some of the biggest names in music including Ray Charles, James Morrison, and Alice Cooper, and Marc is the beloved frontman for popular Melbourne-based funk band Vaudeville Smash. 

With eyes now set on international stages, the team is eager to share their indie masterpiece with the world. Their journey from Spiegeltent stages in Australia to potential global acclaim is a narrative of ambition, creativity, and the universal language of music and laughter.

My sentiments mirror those expressed in the Sydney Arts Guide: "When this musical is shown on Broadway, in the West End, and closer to home in our larger theatres, I will be so glad I got to be a part of its humble beginnings, on a small round stage in a big-top tent at the Entertainment Quarter."

Stage Whispers' reviewer Barry Hall OAM wrote.

"There are highlights aplenty in this production - my favourites are ‘Italy’, ‘The Ugly Can be Beautiful’, ‘Mumuschka’ and the jail scene. However, the real highlight is the way the performers interact to produce a cohesive moral tale with a happy ending.

The Marvellous Elephant Man: The Musical is a must see and the jewel of the Fringe."

To book this show visit.

https://www.marvellouselephantman.com/

Lead Picture - Ben Clark inside cage- credit Paul Scott