Sydney, 1966. Television is in full swing, meaning the demise of theatre and its stars. The curtain is closing on one such star, Evie May, whose whole life has been the stage. This melancholy night finds Evie packing up her dressing room at the Tivoli and taking off her wig, fretting about where she’s going and reminiscing about how she got here…
This new Australian musical by Hugo Chiarella & Naomi Livingston is a bundle of nostalgia all wrapped up in some jolly songs and a touching story. It’s refreshing to see a true-blue tale amidst the American musicals currently doing the rounds – and a story that shines the spotlight directly on the experiences (and sacrifices) of women in 1930’s showbiz. And queer women, at that.
And this really is the women’s show. Playing our main woman at different stages are Amanda Harrison (older Evie) and Loren Hunter (younger Evie). Both give strong performances: Harrison with her comic timing and gravitas, Hunter with her stunning voice and magnetic presence. Bishanyia Vincent is superb as June, effervescent as the showgirl and vulnerable and moving as the broken lover.
Kate Champion’s direction is elegant, understated and loving. It’s a simple set (Anna Gardiner), and the actors inhabit it with ease.
Don’t expect a full-blown musical. There are some memorable songs and beautiful harmonies (the women’s voices in They Say I Am Too Young are stunning) and Stephen Kreamer’s musical direction is lovely. The concealed band can be easily heard throughout. It won’t knock your socks off of have you crying with laughter – but nor does it claim to. It’s poignant and thoughtful, if a little understated.
Evie May is an Aussie story brought to life with integrity and truth. There’s a reverence about it that is perhaps a bit too heavy-handed – like that silk shirt hanging in your closet that you adore but are too afraid to touch, or like Evie is sitting in the audience and they don’t want to offend her. But this also could have just been opening night trepidation.
It’s a lovely little show and a nice Australian addition to the theatre scene right now.
Alana Kaye – Theatre Now
Evie May
Book & Lyrics by Hugo Chiarella, Music & Lyrics by Naomi Livingston
12 Oct – 3 Nov 2018
Tue – Sat 7:30pm
Sat & Wed matinee 2pm
Mon 6:30pm
Venue: Hayes Theatre
Theatre Company: Presented by Hayes Theatre Co and New Musicals Australia
Duration: Approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes incl. interval
This new Australian musical has been developed through the New Musicals Australia program.
Director Kate Champion
Musical Director Steven Kreamer
Musical Supervisor Max Lambert
Designer Anna Gardiner
Lighting Designer Sian James-Holland
Sound Designer Nate Edmondson
Assistant Director Pippa Grandison
Producer Julian Ramundi
Starring Amanda Harrison, Loren Hunter, Keegan Joyce, Tim Draxl, Jo Turner, Bishanyia Vincent
In 1966, on the evening of the last ever Tivoli performance in Sydney, veteran variety star Evie May (Amanda Harrison) recalls the events that lead her from obscurity in regional Western Australia to the bright lights of the Australian variety circuit and the many sacrifices she made to get there.
Forced to run away from home at an early age, Evie spent her whole life trying to escape the pain of her past. As the final curtain comes down on the Tivoli and everything that has come to define her, Evie struggles to find her place in a world that no longer values the very thing she has spent her life pursuing.
EVIE MAY offers a compelling take on memory, motherhood, and the fascinating characters populating Australia’s rich theatrical history.
It is so important to recognise and celebrate our rich theatre history and at the workshop presentation of Evie May A Tivoli Story I was very excited to discover two young writers who were fulfilling that necessity with enthusiastic dedication. – Nancye Hayes AM
Ticket Prices
Tickets $50 – $55
