Shane Warne: The Musical Explained

Shane Warne: The Musical
Music:Eddie Perfect
Lyrics:Eddie Perfect
Basis:Shane Warne
Premiere Date:10 December 2008
Premiere Location:Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne
Productions:2008 Australian tour
2013 Adelaide/Melbourne
Awards:2009 Helpmann Award Best New Australian Work2008 Green Room Award Best New Australian Musical

Shane Warne: The Musical is a musical comedy by Eddie Perfect based on the life of Australian cricketer Shane Warne. The Daily Telegraph described the musical as "a warts-and-all account of the spin bowler's controversy-laden career and roller-coaster personal life set to soul, rock, opera, gospel music – and even a bit of Bollywood."[1]

Plot

The musical consists of two acts: the first act covering Warne's aborted Australian rules football career, his marriage and his rise to success as a Test cricketer while the controversial issues that Warne was involved in; such as his drug offence, infidelity and the John the bookmaker controversy feature in the second act. The musical finishes with a chorus "Everyone's a little bit like Shane".[2]

The musical contains a series of songs about various incidents in Warne's life both on and off the cricket field, including:

Development

After five years of solo cabaret shows, Perfect had wanted to write a full-scale musical. Seeking a subject, Perfect reflected that: "with every headline I read about Warnie, came the realisation that here was a simple yet complicated, positive yet flawed, honest but naive, charming, philandering, freakishly talented and endlessly divisive man. And that, I thought, is a great character."[4]

The Adelaide Cabaret Festival presented a work-in-progress showing on 17 June 2007 at the Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide Festival Centre.[5] The 2008 Melbourne International Comedy Festival included a further showing at the Hi Fi Bar and Ballroom.[6]

Productions

The full Australian production, directed by Neil Armfield with choreography by Gideon Obarzanek and with Perfect in the title role, opened at the Athenaeum Theatre in Melbourne on 10 December 2008.[7] It toured to the Regal Theatre in Perth from 18 March 2009 and the Enmore Theatre in Sydney from 15 May 2009.

A 2013 revision included a new beginning and ending, new scenes and a revised structure, four new songs and new characters including Liz Hurley. It played short seasons in June for the Adelaide Cabaret Festival at Her Majesty's Theatre, then at Hamer Hall in Melbourne. This production, directed by Simon Phillips, had a cast that included Perfect, Lisa McCune, Shane Jacobson and Christie Whelan-Browne.[8]

A cast album was recorded during the season at Hamer Hall and released in 2014.[9]

Reception

While initially suspicious of the project,[10] Warne later gave his approval after watching the show, saying "I think Eddie and his team have written the musical in a respectful and sympathetic way, and that they have captured my fun, larrikin side."

The musical has been able to draw an audience that would not normally attend musicals with Perfect saying "You see young blokes making their way to their seats carrying armfuls of beers for their mates, just like they do at the cricket. It's like Reformation theatre when people were buying oranges to throw at the actors – why shouldn’t they have fun."[11]

Reviews for the musical have been mainly positive.

"[The musical] is a wild, funny, outrageous, and by the end, surprisingly moving account of the champion spin bowler's life so far. [...] Among the fun, there's genuine respect for [Warne's] enormous talent but it doesn't gloss over his personal failings."[12]

Awards and nominations

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Malkin. Bonnie. Shane Warne backs musical based on his life. 10 December 2008. The Daily Telegraph. London. 6 February 2009.
  2. News: Warne's life flashes before his eyes – to music. Boztas. Senay. 10 December 2008. The Independent. 6 February 2009.
  3. News: Singing with Shane Warne. Gruber. Fiona. 19 January 2009. The Times Literary Supplement. 6 February 2009.
  4. Web site: Time Out | Best Things to do and Events in Cities Worldwide.
  5. Web site: AusStage.
  6. Web site: AusStage.
  7. News: As musical fodder, king of spin faces the first test. Bailey. John. 19 October 2008. The Age. 6 February 2009.
  8. News: Warne out? Not even a half-chance. Mathieson. Craig. 14 June 2013. The Age. 24 February 2016.
  9. Web site: Shane Warne - 2013 Concert Cast.
  10. News: Shane Warne: The Musical. Marks. Kathy. 3 December 2008. The Independent. 6 February 2009.
  11. Web site: Warne musical draws the blokes. 2 February 2009. Daily Dispatchlocation=South Africa. 6 February 2009.
  12. News: Wicked wicket ways of Shane Warne: The Musical . Vickery . Colin . 5 December 2008 . . 6 February 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20081207162927/http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24753094-2902,00.html . 7 December 2008 .
  13. Web site: Shane Warne: The Musical. Kooperman. Paul. 13 December 2008. Australian Stage Online. 6 February 2009.
  14. News: Warne takes centre stage again as spinner proves Perfect vehicle for satire. Haigh. Gideon. 12 December 2008. The Guardian. 6 February 2009.
  15. Web site: Nominees . Helpmannawards.com.au . 20 September 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110612074232/http://www.helpmannawards.com.au/default.aspx?s=nominees&year=2009&cid=7 . 12 June 2011 .
  16. http://www.literaryawards.com.au/victorianpremiers.html#music Literaryawards.com.au: 2009 2009 Victorian Premier's Literary Awards Shortlists: The Prize for Best Music Theatre Script