Reviews

Big is not always beautiful in musical theatre. 

Bonnie and Clyde lasted only a month on a grand Broadway stage, but up close and personal in this distilled down production in the tiny Hayes Theatre, the musical hums along beautifully like a freshly tuned vintage car.

It is always tricky turning serious criminals into attractive characters. The couple rob across depression era America and murder anyone who corners them. They also had an eye for publicity and celebrated their notoriety.

Proud Takatāpui man, Hayden Tee is a performer, recording artist, director and make-up artist. He has been prominent on the world stage in leading roles since 2004 in theatre, cabaret and concert, including Lt Cable in South Pacific, Captain Hook in Peter Pan, Javert in Les Misérables and Miss Trunchball in Matilda. Also a proud LGBTQI+ man, as part of his songs and story he also shared his personal experiences, deep distress and passion for Social Protection and Human Rights.

If you are a lover of musicals and want to take the miserable out of Les Misérables or put the broad back in Broadway, this is the show that does it! Sadly, this was a once only performance for the Cabaret Festival, but should it tour; it is 100 delightful musical and acting minutes, where 50+ musicals and sundry other songs, are performed at breakneck speed and with judicious lyrical re-arranging. Well, actually minus overtures, sundry verses and with superimposed lyrics that are often hysterically witty and most commonly irreverent.

I struggle to think of another performer who injects political satire into a song any better than the multi-talented Paul McDermott. Coming to the Australian public’s attention in the late eighties as a member of comedy trio Doug Anthony Allstars, his quick wit and melodic voice continued during the nineties with the hit panel gameshow Good News Week.