Show People

Three powerhouses of Australian musical theatre have collaborated again to deliver a brilliantly funny, authentic foray into the lives of musical theatre performers. They cover a range of experiences one might have in this industry – the good, the bad and the ugly.

The audience is taken on a roller-coaster journey of eight performers at different stages of their careers. We start with the enthusiastic graduate Jessica, whose charming naivety peaks with an epic show tunes medley. The understudy Candice has perhaps more ego than talent. “Hot Chorus Boy” provides a light-hearted musical interlude before Whelan Browne skilfully depicts a conversation between an agent and her actor on the brink of making it big, just as she’s hitting an age where tough decisions must be made about motherhood. Mathew Frank delivers another musical interlude with “The Usher’s Lament”, then we meet Paddy, the cocky leading man. More on him shortly. The humour is dialled up again by fading diva Margie, who adds some classic razzle-dazzle to contemporary tunes by the likes of Sia and Black Eyed Peas. And we end with a touching final bow by the retiring legend, Edmund and a tear-jerking rendition of “There’s No Business Like Show Business”.

Their stories are masterfully told through acting, singing and a bit of dance for good measure. Award-winning duo Dean Bryant and Mathew Frank have been collaborating since they were students at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAPPA). Their previous show staring Christie Whelan Browne, Britney Spears: The Cabaret, is still selling out theatres over a decade after its debut. Whelan Browne is an award-winning actress who has delighted Australian and international audiences on the stage and screen. Her performance in Show People is truly epic, as she switches convincingly between female and male characters of all ages and experiences.

The character of Paddy is particularly interesting. His scene depicts a conversation in which the company manager informs him that a younger, female cast member has accused him of inappropriate behaviour. Unfortunately, Whelan Browne has real life experience of such a situation, when she was among a group of female cast members in a 2014 production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show who alleged actor Craig McLachlan had indecently assaulted and sexually harassed them. While Whelan Browne was not the only one who made allegations, McLachlan sued her for defamation; the case has since been dropped. The fact that Show People addresses sexual harassment and that Whelan Browne plays the perpetrator herself shows an enormous amount of courage and determination that such issues be dealt with appropriately to make the theatre a safe workplace for everyone.

Show People strikes the right balance between inside jokes for industry professionals while including enough references to keep casual theatre goers highly entertained. It’s a heartfelt and courageous story that illustrates why people love this industry, while also addressing some serious systemic issues that can make it unsafe at times. If you ever have a chance to see a show involving any of these three incredibly talented creatives, don’t miss it!

Sophia Dickinson