Following an acclaimed debut season at Sydney’s Hayes Theatre, smash-hit new musical ‘The Lucky Country’ will hit the road and play Melbourne and Brisbane later this year.
‘The Lucky Country’ is crafted by two exciting Australian theatremakers: composer and lyricist Vidya Makan (‘Hamilton’, ‘SIX’) and director Sonya Suares (‘Into The Woods’, ‘Sunday In The Park With George’). It reclaims and reimagines our national songbook, with a soundtrack performed live by a five-piece band (featuring yidaki) alongside the six-piece ensemble.
It’s a chamber musical with an original score paying homage to some of Australia’s greatest musicians.
“We wanted the music to feel instantly familiar — like flipping through the radio dial of Australia,” Vidya Makan says. “You’ll hear echoes of Baker Boy, Jimmy Barnes, Kylie, The Seekers, Electric Fields plus loads more — all remixed through a contemporary lens that feels uniquely ours.”
Boy is a 13-year-old Thiitharr Warra kid, whose youthful optimism is dashed when he clashes with his teacher’s notion of ‘our shared history’. It’s a journey of self-actualisation, leading him back to Country, and a moment of truth.
‘The Lucky Country’ features a collection off all-Aussie characters, including grey nomads, a Chinese-Australian restauranteur, a young refugee, a WW2 veteran, an aspiring actress, and a fake Russian choir.
“This is a show that claims space for the voices and perspectives that tend to be overlooked when Australia tells its story,” Director Sonya Suares says. “It's cheeky, it's irreverent, at times it pops off like a rocket. But at its core, it's an invitation to gather, reflect, rethink where we've been and how we might move forward together.”
‘The Lucky Country’ plays Southbank Theatre (Melbourne) 13-18 October and Brisbane Powerhouse 22-26 October.
