Australia's Game The Musical

For ten years Alex Lykos has been putting his own plays onto the stage in Sydney's inner-west under the umbrella of his aptly named Bulldog Theatre Company. He has displayed bulldog-like determination to present his own works, which are often flavoured by his experience as a Greek Australian, but not in the league of success of Wogs Out of Work.

Australia's Game the Musical is good multi-cultural fodder. It’s set in a soccer team and charts the relationship between the Superstar, his coach (Alex Lykos) and an up-and-comer Tom.

The challenges of being able to write, direct, and star in a completely new musical are immense. There are some moments of entertainment and nice acting, mixed with undergraduate cringe-worthy humour. There are some nicely written original songs curiously mixed with pre-written music not in the same style.

The musical has some spectacular unexpected politically incorrect highlights. One of the actresses Korinna Gouros plays a stripper in a club, where the up and coming player is introduced to a potential new agent.

You don't expect someone who has super model looks to suddenly be prancing around scantily dressed at an independent theatre company. She was perfectly cast to be the catalyst for a song about premature ejaculation.

Elsewhere every cliché about WAGS (that is wives and girlfriends of the footy players) is milked. The cast got the most out of the script. The tap dancing of the Superstar (Michael Coumi) was fun, Timothy Love as the up and comer had several authentic looking climaxes and Jim McInnes was memorable as the agent.

All up a bit like seeing a well produced University Review.

David Spicer