Evil Dead: The Musical

Ghostlight Theatre’s Queensland premiere production of Evil Dead: The Musical is a cult hit and has already sold out its full production run! That is probably because the team that brought you Exorcist: The Musical, directors, Yasmin Elahi and Benjamin Oxley, prove that they don’t shy away from challenging and entertaining musical productions. Plus their ability to choose outstanding cast members is on full display in this wacky homage to B-grade Drive-In Horror flicks and quirky musical styles. Based on the cult 1980s film and its sequel, this musical adaptation has full approval of the film’s writer/director, Sam Raimi (who knew he would go on to mainstream Hollywood success?) and follows the familiar horror genre footprints: handsome go-getter Ash (manager of Homewares at S-Mart department store) takes his girlfriend, sister and best friends on a weekend away in the woods, staying in an abandoned old cabin with a spooky basement and a seriously dodgy Moose head trophy on the wall. What could possibly go wrong? Oh, I forgot to mention the Necronomicon (Book of the Dead) discovered by the cabin’s owner, Professor Knowby.

Horror fans of the original 1980’s splatter flicks will appreciate it when I say that this musical must break the record for the most amount of fake blood released in the name of art. It also features some of the funniest mash-up horror movie scenes, combined with loving send-ups of stage musical styles that brings to mind the Rocky Horror Show and Little Shop of Horrors. With its origins as a workshop show in Toronto and at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, the Canadian humour will go down well with Australian audiences.

This kind of parody homage requires a superb and totally committed cast to carry it off without the tone plummeting to boring base-level satire. The musical chops have to match the best of any stage musical, but the comedy skills have to be honed as well. The directors have found a dream cast of energetic and talented performers. Patrick ‘Az’ James is perfect as the chiselled hero, Ash. He has to hold the show together, even through the most unheard-of challenges. Lucky thing there was a chainsaw at that cabin, hey? Isabel Kraemer makes Ash’s girlfriend, Linda, straight out of Central Casting for ‘the perfect American girlfriend’ – and doesn’t Linda know it. Ash and Linda’s duet on ‘Housewares Employee’ is the first of the superb songs that make this musical so enjoyable. Zara Lassey as Ash’s sister Cheryl and Julianne Clinch as Scott’s girlfriend, Shelly, almost steal Act One with their punchy rendition of ‘Look Who’s Evil Now’, and Adam Goodall as Ash’s best friend, Scott, proves is singing is as sharp as his comic timing in the hilarious ‘What the F#%k Was That?’ The end of Act One introduces Oliver Catton as ‘good old reliable Jake’ a woodlands resident with a killer voice.

The surprises keep coming in Act Two as the professor’s daughter, Annie (Ariel Franzmann) and her boyfriend Ed (Skye Schultz) arrive on the scene. Ariel shines as the pushy, lippy Annie who won’t let Ed get a word in edgeways. But then Ed’s ‘Bit-Part Demon’, is a total show-stopper and Skye has a voice to die for. By the end I guarantee that, while you may go home to awaiting nightmares about that cabin, you’ll be whistling ‘Do the Necronomicon’ and trying to get your head around those lyrics that somehow rhyme ‘sprinkler’ with ‘Henry Winkler’, while emulating the wonderful choreography by Tayla Simpson. This whole show is a hoot from start to finish.

Like all not-for-profit gigs, this one has many supporting crew, including Torin Cook, Lara Hinton. Super-8-drive-in-B-grade props and sets were lovingly crafted by Tamzen Hunter, with makeup by Ali Morgan and costumes by Yasmin Elahi. Sound design is by Benjamin Oxley

The venue in a small basement corner of the old New Farm cinema complex – now the EvilCorp Horror Maze attraction – is perfect as it is safely immersive and makes you feel as if you are in the cabin with the cast of characters. Hence the warnings about seating in the ‘splatter zone’.

Some of the cast members have emerged from productions at Beenleigh Theatre Group, which highlights the importance of community theatre in nurturing our local talent. I have no doubt we’ll be seeing this cast again soon in future productions.

This run of the show is now sold out. But maybe we can lobby the production team to extend the fun.

Beth Keehn

Photographers: Christopher Sharman and Alan Burchill

Find out more: www.ghostlightbrisbane.com.au